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Forever Evermore #2
King Cave
The long-awaited sequel to the bestselling, award-winning King Hall: the revolution is here, but the most dangerous attack may come from within...
The safe, comfortable world of Lily Ruckler and her fellow Mystical Kings and Queens is rocked to the core by the attacks at King Hall. Not only does Lily have to kill the Commoners attacking her people, she also has to assume the mantle of leadership, and bring the surviving Mysticals to King Cave.
It should have been too much, but she is not alone. Ezra becomes her rock, her best friend, the one person who understands. As Pearl and Jack struggle with inconsolable loss, Ezra and Lily work to keep the Mys community safe in their new home, and plan a deadly retaliation.
Their friendship saves them both...but it also draws attention. Whispers. Judgment. It's not normal for Shifters and Vampires to be friends, and when a horrifying truth is revealed, their relationship morphs from unusual to unspeakable. Lily is good at keeping secrets that could get her killed. Is she willing to risk Ezra's life as well?
The safe, comfortable world of Lily Ruckler and her fellow Mystical Kings and Queens is rocked to the core by the attacks at King Hall. Not only does Lily have to kill the Commoners attacking her people, she also has to assume the mantle of leadership, and bring the surviving Mysticals to King Cave.
It should have been too much, but she is not alone. Ezra becomes her rock, her best friend, the one person who understands. As Pearl and Jack struggle with inconsolable loss, Ezra and Lily work to keep the Mys community safe in their new home, and plan a deadly retaliation.
Their friendship saves them both...but it also draws attention. Whispers. Judgment. It's not normal for Shifters and Vampires to be friends, and when a horrifying truth is revealed, their relationship morphs from unusual to unspeakable. Lily is good at keeping secrets that could get her killed. Is she willing to risk Ezra's life as well?
530 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2014
About the author
Scarlett Dawn
53 books2,550 followersNew York Times bestselling author and award-winner, Scarlett Dawn, is the mastermind behind the Forever Evermore fantasy series, the Origin paranormal dystopian stories, the Vampire Crown paranormal romance thrillers, the Mark science fantasy saga, and the Lion Security contemporary romance series.
She lives in the Midwest, adores her music loud, and demands her fries covered in melted cheese.
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/4X1rv
She lives in the Midwest, adores her music loud, and demands her fries covered in melted cheese.
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/4X1rv
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 442 reviews
April 15, 2021
Fifth re-read: 15.04.2021
God the ending bothers me so goddamn much.
Forth re-read: 17.01.2021
I have two questions. If Dominic somehow came back from the dead, would Lily still choose Ezra? And visa versa with Ezra's mate? The other question is; is there a list from most powerful to the weakest amongst the Mys? I'm guessing Elder Harcourt is at the top? With perhaps Antonio second? I definitely want to know the top ten at least....
Third re-read: 04.02.2020
*Contain Spoilers* One thing I hadn't noticed - or frankly hadn't cared about before - was that in a span of 8 sentences Lily called Ezra ‘baby’. I seriously rolled my eyes at that and I actually got annoyed. I actually didn't like Lily calling him that, though I wouldn't have minded it being the other way around for some reason. That being said, I'm very unsure if I should re-read book three as I don't actually like it that much. The characters we fell in love with becomes someone else and the Kings and Queens doesn't change any of the laws...... but there's two certain people who get to together in book three that I do love... Should I? Overall, this book is very long. It really is. I want more though :P
Characters:
As the list is long, I put it in a spoilers tag.
Second re-read: 09.01.2018
My review got deleted when my laptop turned itself off, so I'm too angry and annoyed to write another ‘proper’ one. Anyway, the book centers around the born Mystical ‘Mys’ hybrid (which is forbidden), Lily ‘Lil’ Shitz Ruckler (19, or 20?) and the other Prodigies (the soon-to-be Kings and Queens, of the Mystical world) - the wicked Vampire, Ezra Cahal Zeller (22?), the wild-child Mage, Pearl Cooper (how old?) and the playboy Elemental, Jack Collins (how old?). Lily and Ezra suddenly find themselves changed regarding their feeling towards each other, which makes thing highly dangerous... Overall, this book is the best in the series, without a doubt. The sex is hot as fuck, the build-up is great and the story is interesting. However, it's a bit long and I don't' know why, or what, but something is stopping me from loving it, though I like it very much. Also, I seriously won't mind a book about Elder Antonio ‘Tony’ Farrar (how old?) and Cahal Zeller (how old?).
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult) Paranormal Romance.
Series: - Series, Book Two.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Ezra Cahal Zeller.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably.
New Rating - 3.5/3 stars.
Re-read: 12.01.16:
Damn, that ending is still fucking killing me. There are so many heartbreaking scenes in this book that I don't know where to put myself. It's all just...heartbreaking. Still adore this book and sure I'll end up re-reading it yet again in the future :)!
First read review:
(First time making a character picture, so no hate :P)
Ohh boy.. This book had me hot and wet, that's for sure! I loved it! Usually, #1 in a series is always best, but 'King Cave' is actually a huge improvement. Book #1 you got to know the characters, but in #2 something actually happen! In book one, there was no sex, well there was sex but you didn't get to read about it... :/ But let's just say that 'King Cave' had hell of a lot of it.. And not just vanilla sex, but hot, raw, wild and sweaty sex that pretty much had me craving for more! 'King Cave' had it all, action, love, sorrow, friendship, betrayals, loss, magic.. and on and on... The sadness in this book had my heart breaking in two, specially the end.. I had no idea where to put myself. The reason this book doesn't get a full four or five stars is that it's quite long. There was a lot of unnecessary stuff, and it could have happen more in the book. Other than that, it was really worth reading. Scarlett Dawn is an excellent author, and i'm looking forward to read more from her.
The characters are awesome! I loved them. Lily, Ezra, Jack and Pearl's relationship was amazing. The connection between them was huge, and no matter what, unbreakable. There is a lot of sexual frustration between the characters, so much you just want to pull your hair out, and than bam, you get pretty satisfied. Lily, my sweet Lily, has been trough a lot. Losing not just her mother, but her mate as well. She gets challenged, and have to prove herself, yet she still stand strong and brave. Perhaps a little reckless, and wild but still sweet and nice, and a perfect friend. Lily really surprised me in this book. She went from being lost and scared, ready to run away to an amazing leader. That shouldn't surprise me considering the amazing support she has.
“Open your eyes, sweetheart. I want you to see who’s fucking you senseless.”
Erza.. Where do i start? Damn, he's... Swoon worthy man.. Just saying. Sexy, dominant, caring, loving, amazing.. A man who knows what he wants and pretty much takes it, don't really follow the rules, and such an amazing friend. He has lost his mate as well, but heals as well as Lily by the love they get from friends and family. Ezra's tough, he's not afraid to jump into a fight, even though there is a chance he'll die.
In the condemned hush, he twisted his wrist and entwined our fingers together.
I love how Lily and Ezra helps each other.. moving on? They help each other heal, and to believe again, in love. I can't wait for more of them. I have to say, that i also fell in love with Antonio.. I mean, who cannot? He's ruthless, powerful, smart, and not quite sane, but still the love he has for Lily is heartbreaking! The father-daughter relationship was perfect! I loved it, and i want more there scenes with those two.
'King Cave' ended in a way that pretty much had you go crazy and angry, to have a mental break down.. The characters have to go through so much pain that it pretty much pains me to no end. I really that book #3, that when i cry, they will be happy tears. Book #3 cannot come sooner.
Rate: 4/3 stars
God the ending bothers me so goddamn much.
Forth re-read: 17.01.2021
I have two questions. If Dominic somehow came back from the dead, would Lily still choose Ezra? And visa versa with Ezra's mate? The other question is; is there a list from most powerful to the weakest amongst the Mys? I'm guessing Elder Harcourt is at the top? With perhaps Antonio second? I definitely want to know the top ten at least....
Third re-read: 04.02.2020
*Contain Spoilers* One thing I hadn't noticed - or frankly hadn't cared about before - was that in a span of 8 sentences Lily called Ezra ‘baby’. I seriously rolled my eyes at that and I actually got annoyed. I actually didn't like Lily calling him that, though I wouldn't have minded it being the other way around for some reason. That being said, I'm very unsure if I should re-read book three as I don't actually like it that much. The characters we fell in love with becomes someone else and the Kings and Queens doesn't change any of the laws...... but there's two certain people who get to together in book three that I do love... Should I? Overall, this book is very long. It really is. I want more though :P
Characters:
As the list is long, I put it in a spoilers tag.
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Ezra is the FUCKING best*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Second re-read: 09.01.2018
My review got deleted when my laptop turned itself off, so I'm too angry and annoyed to write another ‘proper’ one. Anyway, the book centers around the born Mystical ‘Mys’ hybrid (which is forbidden), Lily ‘Lil’ Shitz Ruckler (19, or 20?) and the other Prodigies (the soon-to-be Kings and Queens, of the Mystical world) - the wicked Vampire, Ezra Cahal Zeller (22?), the wild-child Mage, Pearl Cooper (how old?) and the playboy Elemental, Jack Collins (how old?). Lily and Ezra suddenly find themselves changed regarding their feeling towards each other, which makes thing highly dangerous... Overall, this book is the best in the series, without a doubt. The sex is hot as fuck, the build-up is great and the story is interesting. However, it's a bit long and I don't' know why, or what, but something is stopping me from loving it, though I like it very much. Also, I seriously won't mind a book about Elder Antonio ‘Tony’ Farrar (how old?) and Cahal Zeller (how old?).
“It’s the beauty that helps us return from the harshness. If it wasn’t there, we would have nothing to live for.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult) Paranormal Romance.
Series: - Series, Book Two.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Ezra Cahal Zeller.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably.
New Rating - 3.5/3 stars.
Re-read: 12.01.16:
Damn, that ending is still fucking killing me. There are so many heartbreaking scenes in this book that I don't know where to put myself. It's all just...heartbreaking. Still adore this book and sure I'll end up re-reading it yet again in the future :)!
First read review:
(First time making a character picture, so no hate :P)
Ohh boy.. This book had me hot and wet, that's for sure! I loved it! Usually, #1 in a series is always best, but 'King Cave' is actually a huge improvement. Book #1 you got to know the characters, but in #2 something actually happen! In book one, there was no sex, well there was sex but you didn't get to read about it... :/ But let's just say that 'King Cave' had hell of a lot of it.. And not just vanilla sex, but hot, raw, wild and sweaty sex that pretty much had me craving for more! 'King Cave' had it all, action, love, sorrow, friendship, betrayals, loss, magic.. and on and on... The sadness in this book had my heart breaking in two, specially the end.. I had no idea where to put myself. The reason this book doesn't get a full four or five stars is that it's quite long. There was a lot of unnecessary stuff, and it could have happen more in the book. Other than that, it was really worth reading. Scarlett Dawn is an excellent author, and i'm looking forward to read more from her.
The characters are awesome! I loved them. Lily, Ezra, Jack and Pearl's relationship was amazing. The connection between them was huge, and no matter what, unbreakable. There is a lot of sexual frustration between the characters, so much you just want to pull your hair out, and than bam, you get pretty satisfied. Lily, my sweet Lily, has been trough a lot. Losing not just her mother, but her mate as well. She gets challenged, and have to prove herself, yet she still stand strong and brave. Perhaps a little reckless, and wild but still sweet and nice, and a perfect friend. Lily really surprised me in this book. She went from being lost and scared, ready to run away to an amazing leader. That shouldn't surprise me considering the amazing support she has.
“Open your eyes, sweetheart. I want you to see who’s fucking you senseless.”
Erza.. Where do i start? Damn, he's... Swoon worthy man.. Just saying. Sexy, dominant, caring, loving, amazing.. A man who knows what he wants and pretty much takes it, don't really follow the rules, and such an amazing friend. He has lost his mate as well, but heals as well as Lily by the love they get from friends and family. Ezra's tough, he's not afraid to jump into a fight, even though there is a chance he'll die.
In the condemned hush, he twisted his wrist and entwined our fingers together.
I love how Lily and Ezra helps each other.. moving on? They help each other heal, and to believe again, in love. I can't wait for more of them. I have to say, that i also fell in love with Antonio.. I mean, who cannot? He's ruthless, powerful, smart, and not quite sane, but still the love he has for Lily is heartbreaking! The father-daughter relationship was perfect! I loved it, and i want more there scenes with those two.
'King Cave' ended in a way that pretty much had you go crazy and angry, to have a mental break down.. The characters have to go through so much pain that it pretty much pains me to no end. I really that book #3, that when i cry, they will be happy tears. Book #3 cannot come sooner.
Rate: 4/3 stars
February 18, 2014
As you may know I loved the first book in this series, even though I had some issues with it, and I was lucky enough to get to beta read this book recently; my first! While I still have a few issues, I can't help but love these characters. What can I say, I'm an emotional reader, lol.
The story picks up where we left off in King Hall with the battle raging all around our main characters. After they eventually make their way to the haven known as King Cave, things start to get really interesting.
A few important points to know about this book is that it's long, as in, it could be easily broken up into two books. It doesn't feature all four of the main characters, but rather focuses on Ezra and Lilly. There still isn't as much focus on the political turmoil wreaking havoc in the world.
Hitting on the first point, if you're like me, and love a character driven story that reads like "a-day-in-the-life-of", then the length isn't too much of an issue. Since I didn't read the final version I can't say if the few issues I had with this will be smoothed out or not, but all in all, I like a long book if it's filled with people I care about. Lilly and Ezra finally - thank you! - made strides towards ending their painfully obvious sexual tension, and I loved it. I love sex in my books, I've never beaten around the bush with that, and especially considering that the first book didn't read with the maturity needed to pull off the "new adult" sub-genre, it was great to finally see the story take on the adult tones I wanted. This is definitely not a story for a younger audience.
My second gripe about this story, and maybe my biggest actually, is that we don't get to see enough of Jack and Pearl. They went through a traumatic event at the end of the first book, and I wanted to see more of their lives in the aftermath of that, but they're very much on the sideline. It made me sad because it was the four of them that I fell in love with, and while I can't get enough of Ezra (and Lilly, lol), I wanted to spend time with them as well. Instead of four friends being really close, we have two groups of two, with less intimacy between both. There was a not-quite-surprising-but-wonderful twist involved in the friendship dynamic that I very much missed out on witnessing. I didn't want to know the way I did, I wanted to experience it too. The fact that they're not as involved is a detriment for me, but it doesn't make the story any less fantastic, it just makes it different from the way it started out as. I hope that makes sense... Basically, I missed them a great deal, but I still really liked the story.
Speaking of how I can't get enough of Ezra:
As far as the political upheaval, I was really bothered by the whole thing in the first book, and that didn't exactly abate in this one, but after reading this one, I think I understand better why the author chose not to have as much focus on it. The war, and reasons for it, are still very much in the background, almost like an afterthought, but it's just the nature of this particular story. It's a conflict, but it's not the central conflict moving the plot. It didn't annoy me quite as much this time as it did last time, and I hope the synopsis reflects this better this time around. I can't help but wonder at the Mysticals for putting up with the humans though, since they have such greater powers, and I wish the reasons for the humans hating the Mys' made more sense, but again, I still loved the story, so it's clearly not something I got too hung up on, lol.
I really love the author's style, and the characters she's crafted. I think that this story focuses on love, adversity, friendship, and the power of knowing yourself and what you value. There is a lot of humor in here that had me giggling out loud, as well as a few times where I felt like my heart was breaking. There's a scene towards the end that got me good :(. I'm not sure how many novels are planned in the series, but I'm in it for the long haul.
****And now, because the author is awesome, I get to treat you all to a teaser from the book! I love me some teasers, lol. I liked this scene in particular because I think it was one of the turning points for Lilly in being seen as worthy of her title. I wish you could hear the bomb she drops on them after this!!****
The video started again on the golden cube, and I closed my eyes, listening to the magnified sound. Once more, my head cocked as their leader got to the particularly loud rant. I heard it again, and threw up a hand. “Elder Harcourt, stop.” The sound went off, the video pausing, as my eyes flew open to the Elders I had spoken with. “Did you hear it?”
As one, all three of them shook their heads.
“Shit,” I muttered, pushing up from my seat, staring at the image. Feeling incredibly stupid, three more powerful men not having heard it, but still, I know I had heard it. “I think…” I stalled, clearing my throat, jaw clenching as everyone stared at me expectantly. “Okay, I think I know two things about the man in question.” I stared at the image, and not the intimidating Elders and Kings around me. “One, I believe the man in question is Philip Masterson.”
I saw everyone still around the table, and I quickly explained for those who weren’t in the know. “He’s a Congressman in the United States. I know him personally, since he tried to rape me a few months ago. I recognize his voice.” My gaze went to King Kincaid’s wide gaze. “It’s him. I know it is. And it also explains the timing of his disappearance.”
“Goddamn motherfucker,” King Nelson muttered, eyes solid on the screen. A pause. “Antonio, you followed him. Did you see any signs that it could be him?”
Antonio’s gaze was glowing a bit as he stared at the screen. “I saw nothing out of the ordinary at the time, but Lil’s right. It’s his voice now that she mentioned it.” Golden eyes swung to me, his grin feral. “I believe you have something else to say.”
July 23, 2014
DNF
Contains spoilers that are so obvious I refuse to really think of them as spoilers.
I can really sum up my thoughts on this book in a few succinct phrases...
Ezra and Lily had sex. I lost interest. The end.
...and that's basically it. But I feel I should explain why I disliked this book so much when I gave the it's predecessor King Hall a 4.
To be honest, the main reason I was interested in this series was to see what would happen between Ezra and Lily. Okay, I knew what would happen, obviously. I mean, an author does not make her female lead have semi-awkward sexual encounters with only one other male lead. But, as stated in my review for King Hall, I really liked that their relationship was a pure friendship in the first novel. I also liked the premise of the storyline and thought it showed potential.
Based on that mostly positive experience, these were my hopes for the second installation of this series:
1) Ezra and Lily's relationship would continue to be a slow burn, and would slowly - naturally - transition from friendship to something more. And the entire time I would be devouring pages in breathless anticipation, just waiting for that moment when the heat between them finally exploded into a wonderful, emotional, sexual recognisation of their feelings.
2) The issues I had with the stark simplicity of a complicated plot (yeah, I know it doesn't make sense, but everything just has a feeling of conveniency about it) would be ironed out as said plot evolved into a living, breathing thing that would carry me through the books to come (heard this wasn't some mere 3-book triology).
3) My misgivings about the relationship between ruler and subject would be obliterated as the author strove to portay a fuller, wholer image of the society in which these Mysticals lived while showing how they handled the crisis that had just befallen them.
This is what I got:
1) After all the platonic build up of Ezra and Lily's friendship, I was desperate for that slow burn of sexual tension, the one that would eat away at them until, in a moment of desperation and need, they would collide in a blaze of sex. Instead, I got sex 20% into the book with a minimal foundation for it and, like, 10% anticipation. It was basically this: they are conveniently imprisoned in a cave, conveniently sharing a room, Lily conveniently runs into Hot Buff Alpha Shifter 3.0 and they instantly decide to have sex later, conveniently making Ezra jealous, and after said sex Lily conveniently runs into Ezra post-his-own-sex and this conveniently makes her jealous (when she never was before even though he slept with a plethora of girls in the first book - what changed, other than the location). Then there is a vaguely described week of them fighting each other, since they can't handle their feelings, which is totes responsible for two future rulers to do (I mean, for serious now? Are you twelve). Then she conveniently sees him naked and oh em gee just can't hold in the feels and they end up having sex because, ew, they could smell each other's arousal. Of course, their relationship at this point is purely physical and she, of course, lays some pretty strict ground rules - like not dominating her in public when she's graciously ruling her adoring subjects, but it's only now that she decides to think of her subjects, of course, when for the entirety of the first book and second thus far she had barely thought of them at all, and when she did it was with badly concealed disdain for their neediness and weakness (oh, gross! Is it contagious?) - and I just know those rules will conveniently be broken to conveniently cause some emotional conflict between them and they'll go through the whole juvenile thing of trying - but ultimately failing - to move on, especially when something bad will conveniently happen to one of the people involved. Okay, see where I'm going with this? What started as an unpredictable romance became mind-numbingly predictable in the space of a hundred or so pages. For reals. Main drawcard of the series? Obliterated.
2) Notice my use of the word 'conveniently' in my previous spiel? Yeah, that's because that one word can describe the entire plot. I bet Scarlett Dawn is patting herself on the back for the wily inclusion of Mages who conveniently have a spell to allow for anything she wants to happen without explanation. The room they were in at the school didn't explode when the rest of area did? Magically spelled and warded, of course. Need an excuse to thrust all the main characters together to make shit happen? Spelled room, duh. Main female is bad at hand-to-hand combat but needs to look badass and useful during the opening battle scene? Spelled gun with limitless silver bullets, obviously. Jack and Pearl just lost their mates and should be emotionally crippled, but for the sake of the action they need to be functional? Spell for that, too, silly. Need I go on?
Another of the many things that struck me as downright weird was the complete and utter emotional disconnect the characters, particularly Lily, had with some pretty damn disturbing events. Take, for example, Lily's briefly mentioned history with her barely-mentioned Uncle, an association which came to light at the end of the first book. Okay, right. So she has been tortured and sexually abused by her Uncle and this did not warrant more than a mere few sentences of acknowledgement throughout the entire first novel and zero mention in the second? And killing him was just a fun flash in the pan? If this was a normal book, that would have been the crux the female lead's enitre character would be built on! There's denial and then there's inhuman. Lily falls directly into the latter category, a sentiment that was only strengthened by her callous mowing down of Coms as she drove her Hummer to safety. Okay, I get that you're angry and that killing lots of Coms would feel like some pretty sweet revenge, but dear Christ, woman! Allow for a bit of horror at the situation to penetrate your overwhelming bad-assery! I feel like Dawn spent too much time trying to make Lily a hardass and not enough time making her real. Same deal with Ezra, who suffers from Male Hero Perfection Syndrome. Please, it is not possible to be good at everything and have the biggest dick known to mankind, so big it hurt poor Lily's overused vagina and so long it basically touched her tubes...you know, the ones that had been tied on an impulsive, emotional whim the day before.
3) I so loved how the entire subjugative race of Mysticals had a collective personality. Oh, except the too-gorgeous-to-be-real Vampire bitches who were only around to fuck and the suddenly-appearing, convenient Shifter Alphas who were, of course, immediately attracted to Lily and, fortunately for them, held her gaze long enough not be completely written off as irrelevant and derided as weak. Now, this aspect of the first book bugged me a little, but not enough to make me rant. This is me ranting: a true ruler does not just do what is best for her or what she - in her infinite wisdom - thinks is best for the collective. She ventures off her high horse and into the throngs of plebs and deigns to find out what they actually need. Unfortunately, she and Ezra spend more time focusing on themselves and each other (a week sequestered away in their bedroom having animalistic sexy time in the middle of a crisis, anyone?) than focusing on the major political catastrophe happening to their people. Well done. If I were their subjects I'd be a little apprehensive about my future rulers too, but the author conveniently (oh look, there's that word again) makes them all collectively distrust the idea of a racially mixed couple so we all have an excuse to dislike them as much as Lily and Ezra do. Because it's wrong to hate on the rulers, obvs. And Pearl and Jack conveniently (for Ezra and Lily, not them) lost their mates so they are conveniently out of action for the entire 50 pages it takes Ezra and Lily to bang and then are conveniently functional again. Because the entire world revolves around the dictates of Lily and Ezra's sex life. As it should be, for sures.
So basically (because this review is obviously the defintion of basic) this sequel takes everything bad from the first book and makes it at least 3.5 times worse. Then it takes everything kind of good from the first book and makes it worse than the bad stuff. Because fuck progress.
Final Note: The word 'bestie', or its clever plural form 'besties', was used far too often. Once is too much. Once should never happen.
Contains spoilers that are so obvious I refuse to really think of them as spoilers.
I can really sum up my thoughts on this book in a few succinct phrases...
Ezra and Lily had sex. I lost interest. The end.
...and that's basically it. But I feel I should explain why I disliked this book so much when I gave the it's predecessor King Hall a 4.
To be honest, the main reason I was interested in this series was to see what would happen between Ezra and Lily. Okay, I knew what would happen, obviously. I mean, an author does not make her female lead have semi-awkward sexual encounters with only one other male lead. But, as stated in my review for King Hall, I really liked that their relationship was a pure friendship in the first novel. I also liked the premise of the storyline and thought it showed potential.
Based on that mostly positive experience, these were my hopes for the second installation of this series:
1) Ezra and Lily's relationship would continue to be a slow burn, and would slowly - naturally - transition from friendship to something more. And the entire time I would be devouring pages in breathless anticipation, just waiting for that moment when the heat between them finally exploded into a wonderful, emotional, sexual recognisation of their feelings.
2) The issues I had with the stark simplicity of a complicated plot (yeah, I know it doesn't make sense, but everything just has a feeling of conveniency about it) would be ironed out as said plot evolved into a living, breathing thing that would carry me through the books to come (heard this wasn't some mere 3-book triology).
3) My misgivings about the relationship between ruler and subject would be obliterated as the author strove to portay a fuller, wholer image of the society in which these Mysticals lived while showing how they handled the crisis that had just befallen them.
This is what I got:
1) After all the platonic build up of Ezra and Lily's friendship, I was desperate for that slow burn of sexual tension, the one that would eat away at them until, in a moment of desperation and need, they would collide in a blaze of sex. Instead, I got sex 20% into the book with a minimal foundation for it and, like, 10% anticipation. It was basically this: they are conveniently imprisoned in a cave, conveniently sharing a room, Lily conveniently runs into Hot Buff Alpha Shifter 3.0 and they instantly decide to have sex later, conveniently making Ezra jealous, and after said sex Lily conveniently runs into Ezra post-his-own-sex and this conveniently makes her jealous (when she never was before even though he slept with a plethora of girls in the first book - what changed, other than the location). Then there is a vaguely described week of them fighting each other, since they can't handle their feelings, which is totes responsible for two future rulers to do (I mean, for serious now? Are you twelve). Then she conveniently sees him naked and oh em gee just can't hold in the feels and they end up having sex because, ew, they could smell each other's arousal. Of course, their relationship at this point is purely physical and she, of course, lays some pretty strict ground rules - like not dominating her in public when she's graciously ruling her adoring subjects, but it's only now that she decides to think of her subjects, of course, when for the entirety of the first book and second thus far she had barely thought of them at all, and when she did it was with badly concealed disdain for their neediness and weakness (oh, gross! Is it contagious?) - and I just know those rules will conveniently be broken to conveniently cause some emotional conflict between them and they'll go through the whole juvenile thing of trying - but ultimately failing - to move on, especially when something bad will conveniently happen to one of the people involved. Okay, see where I'm going with this? What started as an unpredictable romance became mind-numbingly predictable in the space of a hundred or so pages. For reals. Main drawcard of the series? Obliterated.
2) Notice my use of the word 'conveniently' in my previous spiel? Yeah, that's because that one word can describe the entire plot. I bet Scarlett Dawn is patting herself on the back for the wily inclusion of Mages who conveniently have a spell to allow for anything she wants to happen without explanation. The room they were in at the school didn't explode when the rest of area did? Magically spelled and warded, of course. Need an excuse to thrust all the main characters together to make shit happen? Spelled room, duh. Main female is bad at hand-to-hand combat but needs to look badass and useful during the opening battle scene? Spelled gun with limitless silver bullets, obviously. Jack and Pearl just lost their mates and should be emotionally crippled, but for the sake of the action they need to be functional? Spell for that, too, silly. Need I go on?
Another of the many things that struck me as downright weird was the complete and utter emotional disconnect the characters, particularly Lily, had with some pretty damn disturbing events. Take, for example, Lily's briefly mentioned history with her barely-mentioned Uncle, an association which came to light at the end of the first book. Okay, right. So she has been tortured and sexually abused by her Uncle and this did not warrant more than a mere few sentences of acknowledgement throughout the entire first novel and zero mention in the second? And killing him was just a fun flash in the pan? If this was a normal book, that would have been the crux the female lead's enitre character would be built on! There's denial and then there's inhuman. Lily falls directly into the latter category, a sentiment that was only strengthened by her callous mowing down of Coms as she drove her Hummer to safety. Okay, I get that you're angry and that killing lots of Coms would feel like some pretty sweet revenge, but dear Christ, woman! Allow for a bit of horror at the situation to penetrate your overwhelming bad-assery! I feel like Dawn spent too much time trying to make Lily a hardass and not enough time making her real. Same deal with Ezra, who suffers from Male Hero Perfection Syndrome. Please, it is not possible to be good at everything and have the biggest dick known to mankind, so big it hurt poor Lily's overused vagina and so long it basically touched her tubes...you know, the ones that had been tied on an impulsive, emotional whim the day before.
3) I so loved how the entire subjugative race of Mysticals had a collective personality. Oh, except the too-gorgeous-to-be-real Vampire bitches who were only around to fuck and the suddenly-appearing, convenient Shifter Alphas who were, of course, immediately attracted to Lily and, fortunately for them, held her gaze long enough not be completely written off as irrelevant and derided as weak. Now, this aspect of the first book bugged me a little, but not enough to make me rant. This is me ranting: a true ruler does not just do what is best for her or what she - in her infinite wisdom - thinks is best for the collective. She ventures off her high horse and into the throngs of plebs and deigns to find out what they actually need. Unfortunately, she and Ezra spend more time focusing on themselves and each other (a week sequestered away in their bedroom having animalistic sexy time in the middle of a crisis, anyone?) than focusing on the major political catastrophe happening to their people. Well done. If I were their subjects I'd be a little apprehensive about my future rulers too, but the author conveniently (oh look, there's that word again) makes them all collectively distrust the idea of a racially mixed couple so we all have an excuse to dislike them as much as Lily and Ezra do. Because it's wrong to hate on the rulers, obvs. And Pearl and Jack conveniently (for Ezra and Lily, not them) lost their mates so they are conveniently out of action for the entire 50 pages it takes Ezra and Lily to bang and then are conveniently functional again. Because the entire world revolves around the dictates of Lily and Ezra's sex life. As it should be, for sures.
So basically (because this review is obviously the defintion of basic) this sequel takes everything bad from the first book and makes it at least 3.5 times worse. Then it takes everything kind of good from the first book and makes it worse than the bad stuff. Because fuck progress.
Final Note: The word 'bestie', or its clever plural form 'besties', was used far too often. Once is too much. Once should never happen.
February 5, 2014
I'm not going to go into details about the plot or highlight any part of the story here. It's already been done by other reviewers. Rather I'm just going to give my impressions and feelings about King Cave. This book was fabulous! ...and here's why:
(In no particular order and SPOILER-FREE assuming you read King Hall)
1) Ezra and Lily
Lily
Ezra
Their relationship was perfect, flawed but perfect. In romance books, I rarely equally like the two main characters of the romance. One usually steals my heart a little more than the other (usually the guy, because hey, I'm a gal) But both Lily and Ezra equally endeared themselves to me. From their strength and perseverance, unwavering love and absolute commitment to each other, I both LOVED them together and as individuals.
And bonus! --> NO miscommunication anywhere to be seen! I was so ecstatic. Finally, a relationship that can develop without insipid, silly communication disorders. I knew it could be done!
2) The romance: If you could guess from #1 above this, King Cave is a romance novel, and it is an adult romance novel. King Hall was a straight up fantasy with some sexual tension thrown in (it was certainly assumed that some type of romance would develop in coming books). But goodness, where the heat level of KH was a 1 (for sexual tension only), KC was a solid 8 out of 10 heat.
Sex scenes. They were very well done, and there were plenty. So for those disappointed that KH lacked sex, it was made up for in KC. In spades.
3) The paranormal: Ms. Dawn takes the generic hallmarks of the paranormal genre regarding different species characteristics and tweeks them to fit perfectly into the world she has created. From the Mages to Elementals to Shifters to Vampires, all are done very well.
I also found it fascinating that she paired a shifter and vampire together in a romance. I've seen it done a few other times, but I think I like Ms. Dawns' coupling the best. The battle for dominance was great, and believable in the paranormal world. (I won't go into specifics - no spoilers. But for those fans of paranormals, know it is done very well) This also speaks to the strength of Ezra and Lily as both individuals and as a couple.
4) The secondary characters: After the main characters, the secondaries can make or break a story. ALL of the secondary characters portrayed in King Cave were necessary, well-developed and really added to the overall flavoring of King Cave. Without any of them, I think this book would not have been as good.
5) The length: This was a long and extensive novel by current standards, over 400 print pages. I was pleasantly surprised as I love to have in-depth character developments - and King Cave delivered on this front. The length also allowed for a lot, I mean a lot to happen. So get ready.
6) Action-packed: When I say action-packed, I don't mean only literal fighting, running, jumping, or "action". I also mean that there was rarely a lull in the story. From plot reveals, to character developments, shocking/surprising events, and yes, the regular action too, things kept happening. Now sometimes this can overwhelm a story, but Ms. Dawn did an excellent job keeping things streamlined. I had no problem following along and keeping everything straight. And I was never bored. For over 400 pages, I didn't skim once.
7) The test: And the absolute best test to know whether or not I truly enjoyed a book and it deserves 5+ stars is whether or not I can pick another book to read directly after it. Presently, I have no interest in reading another book. I am fully content to sit here and ruminate over the fabulousness that was King Cave; to sift through the events, the relationships, to think about what is to come. I have a mile-high pile of other books on my TBR, and I have no intention of touching one anytime soon. This is more than a book hangover, more like a love affair.
Things to know:
- This is the second book in the Forever Evermore series. If you haven't read King Hall, read it first, then rush to King Cave. You will not be disappointed.
- For those grammar Nazis and editing police out there (like me :) ), I am happy to report that there were only a few typos in King Cave. No major mistakes, no spelling issues, etc. I do believe that this series has a publisher and is extensively edited.
**Songs**
My song pick for the Forever Evermore series:
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO_Wx...
My song pick for King Cave is for Lily and Ezra:
Everlong (acoustic version) by The Foo Fighters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO_15...
Happy Reading!
♥ Lisa
King Tomb
See my review for King Hall: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 7, 2014
Reading King Cave has made me a better parent. You heard me, reading this has done more for my maternal skills than all of those Parenting books written by so-called 'experts'.
Mainly because I've never read any of them. I meant to, I swear! But they just looked so boring...
So how did a book about magical creatures make me a better mom?
Well, I am now far more tolerant of my girls screeching, squealing, and crying every time one of those poofy-headed boy bands comes out with a new video. *shudder*
I used to point out that the one in the middle is quite obviously gay and could care less about the panties being thrown at him. The one on the far right is going to blow all of his money and end up living in a trailer park. But that's still better than the one on the end, who's probably going to end up face-down in a pool of his own vomit in five years.
That was the old me.
Now? I just smile, pat my sweet babies on the head, and tell them that one of those guys might end up being a Justin.
Why the change of heart?
Because I had a similarly goofy reaction to getting King Cave.
I did this embarrassing tappy dance, I grinned till my cheeks hurt, and I made giggly sounds.
There were also rumors of a weird humming noise coming from my general vicinity while I was reading...but I think my kids were just trying to mess with my head.
I'm not kidding. They do shit like that to me all of the time.
Anyway, I was beyond excited to get my grubby little paws on this, because absolutely loved King Hall. If you haven't read it yet, you honestly don't know what you're missing. Read it!
But then I got nervous. What if my expectations were too high? What if the first book was a fluke? I mean, I've got too much stuff to read as it is, so it's not very often that I actively stalk a book's release date.
And I stalked this one.
Oh God! The creeper hanging out in the bushes at Barnes & Noble?! It was me! Noooo! I thought it was all just a bad dream!
But that does explain the sudden appearance of all of those kitschy new bookmarks...
So. Now that we've established that I ramble, let's get on with this review.
King Cave picks up at the exact moment the last book left off. King Hall is under attack, Pearl and Jack are unconscious, and everything is going up in flames.
Let me tell you something, this book takes off right out of the gate and never stops. It's packed full of twists, turns, and shocking revelations. Packed! It's also got something that was notably absent in the first book.
Sex.
Oh Ezra...
Sweet lord, he is the smexiest thing ever! I'm totally calling dibs on him as my book-boyfriend, so the rest of you bitches can just back it up!
See, I was wondering if maybe Ms. Dawn didn't write it into the last book because it wasn't her forte. Apparently that was not the reason. And in fact, it might actually be the cause of the mysterious humming noises. Just a theory...
Alright, back to the twisty-turny stuff. Every time something BIG would happen I'd be like, Aha! So that's the THING! The BIG THING that happens in this story to change everything!
Bzzzt! Wrong!
Because then the next huge shocker would come outta nowhere and knock me on my ass. It never stopped! By the time I got to the end, I was shaking like a freaking leaf!
Although, I've never actually seen a leaf shake. Quiver? Yes. But not really shake. However, it wouldn't really be PC of me to say I was shaking like a fat kid in a candy store, so we'll just go with the leaf analogy.
Anyhoo, I don't like to give spoilers, but I've just got to give you guys a hint.
Ezra and Lilly.
EZRA and LILLY!
And you know what, that's not even the tip of the iceberg! That's right, ladies and gentlemen!That is a teeny-tiny piece of crap spoiler that doesn't even begin to touch the scope of this amazing plot.
Oh shit. The kids were right! I'm making this obnoxious humming noise. What the hell?!
So what have we learned here today?
1. These books are so awesome that they are going to be part of my exclusive Hardback collection.
2. I would leave my husband for Ezra.
3. I may need to see someone about the fact that I unconsciously make annoying noises.
4. If you haven't picked up on this series yet, you need to remedy that situation immediately!
5. Um. There's not really a 5, but the list just kinda looked like it needed an extra number.
But seriously, go get this book.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for a digital arc of this book in return for an honest review.
January 17, 2017
THE FEELS!!!!! I was hoping for more romance than book 1, but this book surpassed my expectations. Not only was the love between Lily and (don't wanna name him and spoil it) great and totally believable, but it was fierce, passionate, and beautiful. Their sex was enough to warrant a few cold showers. The action was once again one of the best aspects of the story. The side characters were great in good and bad ways. Pearl and Jack were still loyal and the bond precious. Some of the elders were funny and surprised you with their views, while others were placed firmly on my 'can't wait to read about you dying' list. The end broke my heart, but I have so many hopes for book 3.
December 27, 2013
Wow....no words right now. Review to come...holy....yeah.
**FULL REVIEW**
“Pushing past the last of the Coms, all of them falling because of the large group of Mysticals surrounding us, I turned and shouted, “Everyone, be quiet and listen up!” I knew how to run. This is what I had been trained to do my entire life. Our escape was my show to command.”
Lily, Ezra, Jack and Pearl. The four King/Queen Prodigies are quickly learning what life is like in charge…with the worst of their reign yet to begin.
Picking up where King Hall left off with a big, fat, WTF? I was so excited to read King Cave; and I knew I was in for a ride from the very first chapter. The war has begun, Coms and Mys alike are dying left and right, but why? Who upset the Coms so much that they are going buck-wild to start a war that they undoubtedly cannot win? Someone is working from the inside…and when the Prodigies find out, heads will roll…let’s just hope that they aren’t ousted first.
“Any hybrids who have escaped the Executioner are capable of breeding with Commoners.” His yellow eyebrows furrowed. “Their offspring are as the Com stated. They are ravenous Beasts that usually kill the mother from inside the womb. The pregnancy rarely goes to full-term. Ages ago this wasn’t so much an issue, because the Beast usually died along with the mother, but” a glance at Elder Harcourt, then he again spoke the words strangely, “with technological advances in prenatal care,” his eyes met everyone’s shocked ones, “the Beasts can be born, even if the mother dies.”
Yep. As if they didn’t have enough to worry about with the Coms attacking the Mysticals. They are breeding them now too, in order to create a complete monster-killing-machine. Laws were put in place long ago to protect both communities from this sort of thing happening but times change, people hide, hybrids are still living (and awakening), mating, and in Lily’s case, Queen. Things can only get worse…especially when she realizes that her dormant side has fallen for someone new.
“I was starting to feel hope bloom amongst my fear of losing him. Hope for another man. Someone besides Dominic. Someone I didn’t want others touching. Hell, I didn’t even want them looking at him, or him gazing at them, hungry for all his attention directed at me. And it freaked me out only a little.”
But how far will they go to prove that two Mysticals from different factions can be in love without magic? And can they really keep it a secret…even from their best friends? Stresses run high as The Kings and Elders prepare for War, and when Lily’s secret is threatened, she once again does the only thing she knows to do.
Run.
But you can’t run away from responsibility…
Now, she has to stay and fight. Fight not only for her Kingdom, but for herself and the love she has formed with another. Problem is, she may not be strong enough.
“Shoving my vitality into his Core, I released my life for his, loving him. Him.”
OH MY GOSH!!! This book was incredible! IN-CRED-I-BLE!!!! I have never been more fascinated with characters’ lives EVER. Reading this book was everything I hoped it would be and I was just as upset when I finished this one as I was when I finished the first book. It has another WTF ending that only Scarlett can deliver…such sweet, sweet, torture. I mean, when they leave…when they arrive…hook up…break up…leave again…come back...fight…forget…remember…seriously, I can’t even…WOW! It’s all in the details. The love shown in King Cave is evident through every single page, and I am completely IN LOVE.
**5 Please Remember Me Stars**
**FULL REVIEW**
“Pushing past the last of the Coms, all of them falling because of the large group of Mysticals surrounding us, I turned and shouted, “Everyone, be quiet and listen up!” I knew how to run. This is what I had been trained to do my entire life. Our escape was my show to command.”
Lily, Ezra, Jack and Pearl. The four King/Queen Prodigies are quickly learning what life is like in charge…with the worst of their reign yet to begin.
Picking up where King Hall left off with a big, fat, WTF? I was so excited to read King Cave; and I knew I was in for a ride from the very first chapter. The war has begun, Coms and Mys alike are dying left and right, but why? Who upset the Coms so much that they are going buck-wild to start a war that they undoubtedly cannot win? Someone is working from the inside…and when the Prodigies find out, heads will roll…let’s just hope that they aren’t ousted first.
“Any hybrids who have escaped the Executioner are capable of breeding with Commoners.” His yellow eyebrows furrowed. “Their offspring are as the Com stated. They are ravenous Beasts that usually kill the mother from inside the womb. The pregnancy rarely goes to full-term. Ages ago this wasn’t so much an issue, because the Beast usually died along with the mother, but” a glance at Elder Harcourt, then he again spoke the words strangely, “with technological advances in prenatal care,” his eyes met everyone’s shocked ones, “the Beasts can be born, even if the mother dies.”
Yep. As if they didn’t have enough to worry about with the Coms attacking the Mysticals. They are breeding them now too, in order to create a complete monster-killing-machine. Laws were put in place long ago to protect both communities from this sort of thing happening but times change, people hide, hybrids are still living (and awakening), mating, and in Lily’s case, Queen. Things can only get worse…especially when she realizes that her dormant side has fallen for someone new.
“I was starting to feel hope bloom amongst my fear of losing him. Hope for another man. Someone besides Dominic. Someone I didn’t want others touching. Hell, I didn’t even want them looking at him, or him gazing at them, hungry for all his attention directed at me. And it freaked me out only a little.”
But how far will they go to prove that two Mysticals from different factions can be in love without magic? And can they really keep it a secret…even from their best friends? Stresses run high as The Kings and Elders prepare for War, and when Lily’s secret is threatened, she once again does the only thing she knows to do.
Run.
But you can’t run away from responsibility…
Now, she has to stay and fight. Fight not only for her Kingdom, but for herself and the love she has formed with another. Problem is, she may not be strong enough.
“Shoving my vitality into his Core, I released my life for his, loving him. Him.”
OH MY GOSH!!! This book was incredible! IN-CRED-I-BLE!!!! I have never been more fascinated with characters’ lives EVER. Reading this book was everything I hoped it would be and I was just as upset when I finished this one as I was when I finished the first book. It has another WTF ending that only Scarlett can deliver…such sweet, sweet, torture. I mean, when they leave…when they arrive…hook up…break up…leave again…come back...fight…forget…remember…seriously, I can’t even…WOW! It’s all in the details. The love shown in King Cave is evident through every single page, and I am completely IN LOVE.
**5 Please Remember Me Stars**
July 31, 2014
My feel's during the book & after -
December 7, 2013
I totally love this series, it's my new favorite, and I can't wait for more! If you are looking for something new and exciting to read, I highly recommend this series to you!
King Cave is the second book in the Forever Evermore trilogies and it picks up right where King Hall left off. This book is packed full of excitement, so much so that I couldn't put it down and was late to work because I needed to know what was happening.
Lily continues to be the voice and focal point of this book, but her besties Ezra, Pearl, and Jack get front billing as well. When I finished this book the first time, it felt as if Pearl and Jack took a backseat to Ezra and Lily's developing romance. However, when I reread it (much slower) it didn't seem that way anymore. It's just that their peppiness seemed to be lost, which if you've read King Hall you know why. I felt this situation was handled quite well by the author Scarlett Dawn, as it added significantly to the emotional depth of the characters and the storyline of Mys vs Com.
I'm not big on spoilers, so I'm not going to give any major details of the story away... But I will say that after finishing King Cave, I feel like I'm sitting behind a wall with a tiny little crack that allows only the smallest amount of light to shine through. I can see the light and some colors ahead, but I don't know how we will get through that wall and what will be waiting for us on the otherside.
I tend to get super involved with characters, and these are some of my favorites. I'd love to read a prequel about each of the main 4's life prior to becoming Prodigies. I'd also love to read about Cahal's and Antonio's group during the first war... maybe we could even have all of Antonio's story with visions, but that would have to be after the rest of this story is told.
Of course now that I've finished reading King Cave, I'll be impatiently waiting for the next book, but I am very thankful for the advanced copy I received for my honest review.
King Cave is the second book in the Forever Evermore trilogies and it picks up right where King Hall left off. This book is packed full of excitement, so much so that I couldn't put it down and was late to work because I needed to know what was happening.
Lily continues to be the voice and focal point of this book, but her besties Ezra, Pearl, and Jack get front billing as well. When I finished this book the first time, it felt as if Pearl and Jack took a backseat to Ezra and Lily's developing romance. However, when I reread it (much slower) it didn't seem that way anymore. It's just that their peppiness seemed to be lost, which if you've read King Hall you know why. I felt this situation was handled quite well by the author Scarlett Dawn, as it added significantly to the emotional depth of the characters and the storyline of Mys vs Com.
I'm not big on spoilers, so I'm not going to give any major details of the story away... But I will say that after finishing King Cave, I feel like I'm sitting behind a wall with a tiny little crack that allows only the smallest amount of light to shine through. I can see the light and some colors ahead, but I don't know how we will get through that wall and what will be waiting for us on the otherside.
I tend to get super involved with characters, and these are some of my favorites. I'd love to read a prequel about each of the main 4's life prior to becoming Prodigies. I'd also love to read about Cahal's and Antonio's group during the first war... maybe we could even have all of Antonio's story with visions, but that would have to be after the rest of this story is told.
Of course now that I've finished reading King Cave, I'll be impatiently waiting for the next book, but I am very thankful for the advanced copy I received for my honest review.
February 4, 2016
King Cave rocked my world. It is a rare and spectacular read when a book sticks with me long after I'm done. Scarlett Dawn's writing had me pondering the what ifs and maybes long after I was finished reading. It did start slowly but the pace quickly picked up and I was utterly memorized by Lily's love, life, friends and plight. Drove to tears, laughed out loud and felt my heart clench with the tensions, King Cave is going down as a favorite read. OMG, the ending had me reeling...literally blew me away...all I can say is please write fast because you left me craving, starving for more...
I received this ARC copy of King Cave from Harlequin Enterprises Australia - Escape Publishing in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication January 1, 2014.
Written by: Scarlett Dawn
Series: Forever Evermore
Sequence in Series: 2
Page Count: 432 pages
Publisher: Escape Publishing - Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd
Publicatoin Date: January 1, 2014
Rating: 5 Stars FAVORITE
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Age Recommendation: New Adult
Learn more at: Scarlett Dawn's Website
Find this book on: Amazon
I received this ARC copy of King Cave from Harlequin Enterprises Australia - Escape Publishing in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication January 1, 2014.
Written by: Scarlett Dawn
Series: Forever Evermore
Sequence in Series: 2
Page Count: 432 pages
Publisher: Escape Publishing - Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd
Publicatoin Date: January 1, 2014
Rating: 5 Stars FAVORITE
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Age Recommendation: New Adult
Learn more at: Scarlett Dawn's Website
Find this book on: Amazon
July 8, 2018
⭐4 stars⭐
It's the beauty that helps us return from the harshness. If it wasn't there, we would have nothing to live for.
My heart... :( Why would you do thaaat?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I yawned, eyes on the bed. "Just call me, smart ass."
He chuckled softly. "I'm Ezra Zeller, it's nice to meet you, Smart Ass."
A man after my own heart :D
It's the beauty that helps us return from the harshness. If it wasn't there, we would have nothing to live for.
My heart... :( Why would you do thaaat?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I yawned, eyes on the bed. "Just call me, smart ass."
He chuckled softly. "I'm Ezra Zeller, it's nice to meet you, Smart Ass."
A man after my own heart :D
February 23, 2015
4.5
Holy shit, this was awesome.
So freaking awesome, I forgot to take notes. And that only happens when a book is either extremely bad or extremely good. I dont trust my memory (and I really dont think I can write this review anyway, notes or no), so I'm just going to roughly go over the main highlights-
-Great writing.
-Great Characters.
-Awesome friendships.
-Adorable relationships.
-Crazy pace (which is easy to follow).
-Believable romance.
-Really, really cool action.
Do I really need to say anything else?
Holy shit, this was awesome.
So freaking awesome, I forgot to take notes. And that only happens when a book is either extremely bad or extremely good. I dont trust my memory (and I really dont think I can write this review anyway, notes or no), so I'm just going to roughly go over the main highlights-
-Great writing.
-Great Characters.
-Awesome friendships.
-Adorable relationships.
-Crazy pace (which is easy to follow).
-Believable romance.
-Really, really cool action.
Do I really need to say anything else?
March 16, 2017
So I rarely DNF a book but this just wasn't spiking my interest enough. It got kind of boring and it's a shame since I loved the first book. It's also way too long.
February 27, 2014
~ This review does contain spoilers AND a gigantic thank you to Escape Publishing for providing me with the opportunity to read this books ~
“It’s the beauty that helps us return from the harshness. If it wasn’t there, we would have nothing to live for.”
Scarlett Dawn | King Cave
I must admit that I am sort of bubbling with excitement to finally write this review. Is that something that people say? Well it sure is if you have ever read a Scarlett Dawn book. If I was an emoticon it would be the one with a gigantic toothy grin. You’re imagining it right now aren’t you.
So the second book in this series picks up right where the first one, King Hall, left off. We have the four prodigies escaping King Hall after the Coms attacked, and they are trying to save as many of their people as possible. They eventually are taken to King Cave where they are to regroup and begin to wage a war against the Rebellion. There was a traitor within their ranks, the man who attacked Lily ends up being the leader of the Rebellion, Antonio is able to see the future, Lily makes a deal with the devil, their are weddings and heartache, and good old fashion blood shed. It was a riveting sequel with so many things to love about it!!
I believe I have mentioned it before, but these novels do read like a TV show. And I actually enjoy it. It means that we as readers are able to focus on our lovely main characters and witness their relationships developing, whilst still appreciating the wider picture with the grim reaper working overtime.
For a large chunk of this novel..like maybe 80% of it, we focus on Ezra and Lily as their relationship blossoms into something so wonderful. They initially find comfort in each other as a support system, whilst Jack and Pearl are mending their broken hearts. This quickly turns into something physical, whereby both agree to not get attached because they aren’t at a place where they would be able to manage it. And then it just turns into stop your heart, smile like you mean it, are you bending down on your knee for that reason L.O.V.E!! It is so fantastic and so well written their relationship growth that you just are in awe.
Towards the beginning Lily actually falls pregnant. It isn’t that I have an issue with this, it is just that I am unable to relate. I don’t have a child, nor do I wan’t one in the near future, so when I read stories where the main character becomes pregnant I tend to lose interest. Because I no longer relate. This didn’t happen to me in this one, and when the event reoccurs at the end of the novel to my surprise I was actually really happy with this turn of events.
In the final chapters the four all lose their memories because a law was passed that doesn’t allow cross races mixing, because they realised that if hybrids have children with humans then they turn into these weird, destructive creatures. Both pairs of royalty are now married, and it is because of the law that ensures married couples aren’t allowed to be separated from each other for more than two years, that there is hope they will be together once again. Normally in series when one character loses their memory, it just puts a damper on the whole series. This being said, with the way that Dawn has positioned the story I have really high hopes for the next book.
I’m looking forward to see how Lily responds to meeting Ezra again, but not really again, in the next book. And how her deal with Clarise actually pans out.
I love all of the elements in this series, and I could actually see it being a very successful TV show. Someone should snap the rights up!! This book actually made me laugh out loud, like within every chapter. And the one thing that was lacking in the first book (in regards to the New Adult genre..*wink* *wink*) was seriously in swing in this one!! You shall look forward to it, i’m sure.
Happy Reading!!
“It’s the beauty that helps us return from the harshness. If it wasn’t there, we would have nothing to live for.”
Scarlett Dawn | King Cave
I must admit that I am sort of bubbling with excitement to finally write this review. Is that something that people say? Well it sure is if you have ever read a Scarlett Dawn book. If I was an emoticon it would be the one with a gigantic toothy grin. You’re imagining it right now aren’t you.
So the second book in this series picks up right where the first one, King Hall, left off. We have the four prodigies escaping King Hall after the Coms attacked, and they are trying to save as many of their people as possible. They eventually are taken to King Cave where they are to regroup and begin to wage a war against the Rebellion. There was a traitor within their ranks, the man who attacked Lily ends up being the leader of the Rebellion, Antonio is able to see the future, Lily makes a deal with the devil, their are weddings and heartache, and good old fashion blood shed. It was a riveting sequel with so many things to love about it!!
I believe I have mentioned it before, but these novels do read like a TV show. And I actually enjoy it. It means that we as readers are able to focus on our lovely main characters and witness their relationships developing, whilst still appreciating the wider picture with the grim reaper working overtime.
For a large chunk of this novel..like maybe 80% of it, we focus on Ezra and Lily as their relationship blossoms into something so wonderful. They initially find comfort in each other as a support system, whilst Jack and Pearl are mending their broken hearts. This quickly turns into something physical, whereby both agree to not get attached because they aren’t at a place where they would be able to manage it. And then it just turns into stop your heart, smile like you mean it, are you bending down on your knee for that reason L.O.V.E!! It is so fantastic and so well written their relationship growth that you just are in awe.
Towards the beginning Lily actually falls pregnant. It isn’t that I have an issue with this, it is just that I am unable to relate. I don’t have a child, nor do I wan’t one in the near future, so when I read stories where the main character becomes pregnant I tend to lose interest. Because I no longer relate. This didn’t happen to me in this one, and when the event reoccurs at the end of the novel to my surprise I was actually really happy with this turn of events.
In the final chapters the four all lose their memories because a law was passed that doesn’t allow cross races mixing, because they realised that if hybrids have children with humans then they turn into these weird, destructive creatures. Both pairs of royalty are now married, and it is because of the law that ensures married couples aren’t allowed to be separated from each other for more than two years, that there is hope they will be together once again. Normally in series when one character loses their memory, it just puts a damper on the whole series. This being said, with the way that Dawn has positioned the story I have really high hopes for the next book.
I’m looking forward to see how Lily responds to meeting Ezra again, but not really again, in the next book. And how her deal with Clarise actually pans out.
I love all of the elements in this series, and I could actually see it being a very successful TV show. Someone should snap the rights up!! This book actually made me laugh out loud, like within every chapter. And the one thing that was lacking in the first book (in regards to the New Adult genre..*wink* *wink*) was seriously in swing in this one!! You shall look forward to it, i’m sure.
Happy Reading!!
January 20, 2014
King Cave is the second book in author Scarlett Dawn's Forever Evermore series. The first book King Hall is on my favorites list and I was so excited to continue these characters' journeys with them. I did not expect anything that King Cave threw at me, which made me so happy! I love it when stories remain unpredictable. When I realized the overall direction this book was taking, I slowed my pace and intentionally read little by little because I didn't want it to end. It was a test of my control for sure but I was determined to make this reading experience last. So much transpires in this story. Lily, Ezra, Jack, and Pearl remain bonded and with everything that is thrown at these characters, they need each other like never before. There is humor, heartbreak, action, suspense, love, conflict, you name it King Cave has it. Lily and Ezra's story takes the lead in this installment and their experiences brought both smiles and tears to my face. I viewed the ending of King Cave as a cliffhanger and it left me feeling anxious for these characters and yet somewhat hopeful. This book is not perfect, but the story is perfect for me: a reader who loves to lose herself in an engrossing noncontemporary story. King Cave provides everything that makes my favorite books...favorites, and I need the next installment King Tomb right now!!! Scarlett Dawn please keep writing, you're great at this storytelling thing!
The Forever Evermore series includes the following installments:
#1: King Hall
#2: King Cave
#3: King Tomb (yet to be released)
My favorite quotes:
"It's hard to believe beauty can still exist when the world is so bleak...It's the beauty that helps us return from the harshness. If it wasn't there, we would have nothing to live for."
"Most relationships are odd at some point."
"I'm all disgusting and stinky. If I'm going to," Christ, "have a meal with your parents, I would prefer to be clean." I paused. "And possibly drunk."
"I've learned, Lily, that in this shithole of a life, each person has to live with the costs of their own actions. Someone may tell you to do something, in fact, order you to do something, but in the end, it's always your choice how you handle the situation."
"Live Hard or Die Bored."
Note: This series falls in the paranormal/new adult genre. King Cave includes adult content and is not for young readers.
The Forever Evermore series includes the following installments:
#1: King Hall
#2: King Cave
#3: King Tomb (yet to be released)
My favorite quotes:
"It's hard to believe beauty can still exist when the world is so bleak...It's the beauty that helps us return from the harshness. If it wasn't there, we would have nothing to live for."
"Most relationships are odd at some point."
"I'm all disgusting and stinky. If I'm going to," Christ, "have a meal with your parents, I would prefer to be clean." I paused. "And possibly drunk."
"I've learned, Lily, that in this shithole of a life, each person has to live with the costs of their own actions. Someone may tell you to do something, in fact, order you to do something, but in the end, it's always your choice how you handle the situation."
"Live Hard or Die Bored."
Note: This series falls in the paranormal/new adult genre. King Cave includes adult content and is not for young readers.
January 25, 2015
Book 2: another level of hotness.
The second book is intense, brutal, sexual and heart wrenching.
Lily, Ezra, Jack and Pearl saved their people when King Hall was under attack. Many died and Pearl and Jack experience tremendous pain. Lily and Ezra will protect their friends and try to alleviate their pain. Jack and Pearl will need to be operational soon in these troubled times.
The tension between Lily and Ezra has reached its climax and something will have to give soon. It’s sizzling and their fights are so intense other mystical give them a wide berth, unwilling to be caught in the line of fire. Elder Merrick loves throwing oil on the fire and does not help to alleviate Ezra’s frustration.
Once Lily and Ezra act on their attraction (and save me from my misery) the fireworks really start! The first sex scene is unbelievably hot, steamy hot. But they get careless, overcome by their emotions, their instinct to protect and claim what’s theirs. They play with fire and live one of the worst taboo of their culture.
After the bliss, comes a profound loss. I had tears all along and used many tissues. It was so unfair! And Antonio’s answer to Lily’s question “Because I must” Gah! I wanted to slap his face.
Other losses will follow for Ezra and Lily. Their suffering is far from finished, on the contrary.
The story gets darker and darker as the battle with the commoners becomes unavoidable. And this cliffhanger was incredibly cruel. I’m glad I already had book 3 or I would have shot my innocent and very useful Kindle on some random wall.
End of review in ” King Tomb”…
The second book is intense, brutal, sexual and heart wrenching.
Lily, Ezra, Jack and Pearl saved their people when King Hall was under attack. Many died and Pearl and Jack experience tremendous pain. Lily and Ezra will protect their friends and try to alleviate their pain. Jack and Pearl will need to be operational soon in these troubled times.
The tension between Lily and Ezra has reached its climax and something will have to give soon. It’s sizzling and their fights are so intense other mystical give them a wide berth, unwilling to be caught in the line of fire. Elder Merrick loves throwing oil on the fire and does not help to alleviate Ezra’s frustration.
Once Lily and Ezra act on their attraction (and save me from my misery) the fireworks really start! The first sex scene is unbelievably hot, steamy hot. But they get careless, overcome by their emotions, their instinct to protect and claim what’s theirs. They play with fire and live one of the worst taboo of their culture.
After the bliss, comes a profound loss. I had tears all along and used many tissues. It was so unfair! And Antonio’s answer to Lily’s question “Because I must” Gah! I wanted to slap his face.
Other losses will follow for Ezra and Lily. Their suffering is far from finished, on the contrary.
The story gets darker and darker as the battle with the commoners becomes unavoidable. And this cliffhanger was incredibly cruel. I’m glad I already had book 3 or I would have shot my innocent and very useful Kindle on some random wall.
End of review in ” King Tomb”…
July 20, 2016
Started skimming at 80% and dropped at 82%
This book was LONGGG, and it felt EVEN LONGERRR.
There's 432 pages; I contemplated dropping the book numerous times but once I got to the 50% mark I was like com'n, if I dropped it now, all that time I spent reading it would be wasted. (I had to give myself pep talks every few pages to encourage myself to keep reading)
Then at 346 pages (80%) I was finally like NO. I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE, maybe I'll just skim. I tried and I couldn't, there was no way for me to skim and actually know what was going on in the book, so at 355 pages (82%) I stopped.
Three things that grossed me out:
1. Sex was so casual you would think they were just grabbing a cup of coffee together
2. Everyone had sex with everyone
3. It wasn't taboo for someone to be sleeping with someone that was the same age as their grandparents (Okay yeah they don't age the same way humans do, but I still couldn't get over it)
On a good note, the writing wasn't bad.
This book was LONGGG, and it felt EVEN LONGERRR.
There's 432 pages; I contemplated dropping the book numerous times but once I got to the 50% mark I was like com'n, if I dropped it now, all that time I spent reading it would be wasted. (I had to give myself pep talks every few pages to encourage myself to keep reading)
Then at 346 pages (80%) I was finally like NO. I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE, maybe I'll just skim. I tried and I couldn't, there was no way for me to skim and actually know what was going on in the book, so at 355 pages (82%) I stopped.
Three things that grossed me out:
1. Sex was so casual you would think they were just grabbing a cup of coffee together
2. Everyone had sex with everyone
3. It wasn't taboo for someone to be sleeping with someone that was the same age as their grandparents (Okay yeah they don't age the same way humans do, but I still couldn't get over it)
On a good note, the writing wasn't bad.
December 7, 2014
The first book started out great. An interesting concept of young people training to become leaders one day, a lot of great characters and fast pacing. This book started out great as well, until they arrived at that cave and everything went downhill from there. Your best friends mates just died? Whatever, they'll be fine. Let's have sex. The war that is supposedly going on? People dying? That will be fine, too. Let's have sex. I like sex, like reading about it, if it fits the book, but this book didn't have anything but two people having sex.
And everybody is friends with everybody. No, they're "besties". Which is another problem. This book lacks an antagonist. Or a problem besides "Uh, this war, we really gotta do something about it!!1!" But first; let's have sex.
And everybody is friends with everybody. No, they're "besties". Which is another problem. This book lacks an antagonist. Or a problem besides "Uh, this war, we really gotta do something about it!!1!" But first; let's have sex.
January 5, 2014
I have renamed this King Sex for obvious reasons. While i seriously loved the story, i must say i was irritated with the cliff hanger ending. The story felt like "WOW!", then "HOLY SHIT!", then some seriously messed up shit goes down and while i'm still reeling from that there's a major "oh shit" moment, and it's over. Can't wait for the next book to see what bad ass Lil does next!
August 22, 2016
GAH! Scarlett Dawn has mad skills with the art of the cliffhanger... this series is like some type of crack, lol. Cant... stop...
March 6, 2022
This book is HUGE and it is so good in every imaginable way.
The world building and storyline is amazing. The love between Ezra and Lily is so deep - based on what began as friendship, and their chemistry is smoking hot.
Oh that cliffhanger 🥺. So happy I can go right into the next book.
The world building and storyline is amazing. The love between Ezra and Lily is so deep - based on what began as friendship, and their chemistry is smoking hot.
Oh that cliffhanger 🥺. So happy I can go right into the next book.
January 12, 2015
KING CAVE … OMG
King Hall was so good that I’ve been anxiously waiting to read King Cave. I totally adore how Scarlett Dawn is writing, how she composes the world and builds up her characters. You simply have to love Lily, Ezra, Pearl and Jack. Those four together have some serious mojo that kept me reading and reading and reading and … reading.
King Hall had some hilariously funny scenes that me giggling and laughing (and thus scaring my cats away) in the middle of the night. I was afraid that King Cave might lose some of this witty banter and humorous passages due to its somewhat more serious plot: The mystical community under attack, a lot of people dying, danger and violence lurking around every corner … But even though it gets serious for Lily and her friends, they haven’t lost their humor.
King Cave picks up directly after King Hall. Lily and her friends have to save as many Mys as they can from the attacking humans. Where King Hall was focused on the four friends and future Queens and Kings, on their developing friendship and how each copes equally with love and loss, family and friends, friendship and all kinds of other social attachments, King Cave in contrast puts the focus on an impeding war and the blooming of real love, a war that will be brutal between Mys and humans and love that is not bound by mate magic but that is built on free will. The conflict between Mys and humans, the political implications of a war is more dominant in King Cave than it was in King Hall but still not in the forefront of the story. It still leaves you wondering about the reasons behind the attacks and those responsible for it.
The building love between Ezra and Lily is moving the plot along and we get treated to a lot of long awaited emotional scenes and sex between those two. I really love Scarlett Dawn’s writing, because she really makes you feel along with the main characters, their insecurities and fears, their love and difficulties. The emotions between Ezra and Lily really kept me glued to my kindle. It actually is like Cuteness overkill!
The only complaint from my part: Jack and Pearl are MIA. I understand that the focus had to be on Lily and Ezra but on the other hand I fell in love with those four characters together and I would have loved to witness their story as well instead of the few phone calls and short encounters we are treated to. But I still loved the story and nothing short of the apocalypse will keep me from reading the next book. King Cave definitely is a re-read for me.
This series is for all who like character driven stories with a touch of fantasy and a good portion of gripping romance without any teen angst or uncalled-for love triangles.
I received this book from the author & netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
King Hall was so good that I’ve been anxiously waiting to read King Cave. I totally adore how Scarlett Dawn is writing, how she composes the world and builds up her characters. You simply have to love Lily, Ezra, Pearl and Jack. Those four together have some serious mojo that kept me reading and reading and reading and … reading.
King Hall had some hilariously funny scenes that me giggling and laughing (and thus scaring my cats away) in the middle of the night. I was afraid that King Cave might lose some of this witty banter and humorous passages due to its somewhat more serious plot: The mystical community under attack, a lot of people dying, danger and violence lurking around every corner … But even though it gets serious for Lily and her friends, they haven’t lost their humor.
King Cave picks up directly after King Hall. Lily and her friends have to save as many Mys as they can from the attacking humans. Where King Hall was focused on the four friends and future Queens and Kings, on their developing friendship and how each copes equally with love and loss, family and friends, friendship and all kinds of other social attachments, King Cave in contrast puts the focus on an impeding war and the blooming of real love, a war that will be brutal between Mys and humans and love that is not bound by mate magic but that is built on free will. The conflict between Mys and humans, the political implications of a war is more dominant in King Cave than it was in King Hall but still not in the forefront of the story. It still leaves you wondering about the reasons behind the attacks and those responsible for it.
The building love between Ezra and Lily is moving the plot along and we get treated to a lot of long awaited emotional scenes and sex between those two. I really love Scarlett Dawn’s writing, because she really makes you feel along with the main characters, their insecurities and fears, their love and difficulties. The emotions between Ezra and Lily really kept me glued to my kindle. It actually is like Cuteness overkill!
The only complaint from my part: Jack and Pearl are MIA. I understand that the focus had to be on Lily and Ezra but on the other hand I fell in love with those four characters together and I would have loved to witness their story as well instead of the few phone calls and short encounters we are treated to. But I still loved the story and nothing short of the apocalypse will keep me from reading the next book. King Cave definitely is a re-read for me.
This series is for all who like character driven stories with a touch of fantasy and a good portion of gripping romance without any teen angst or uncalled-for love triangles.
I received this book from the author & netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2014
BRILLIANT! Mesmerizing! Magnetic! Romantic! Heart-breaking! Heart-warming! Hot! Memorable! Did you like Scarlett Dawn’s King Hall? Hang on for book two in the Forever Evermore trilogy, because you are going to LOVE it! King Cave picks up where King Hall leaves off, and like the star member of the relay team, never misses a beat! The challenges of being groomed to be leaders are overwhelming for the four prodigies and the stress brings them even closer. Focusing on Lily and Ezra as their relationship turns to soul deep love, King Cave is an incredible tale of a romance that endures during a time of crisis and impending war. But are forces working against the new leaders? Will Ezra and Lily be forced to risk everything for love?
Scarlett Dawn has made her own magic come to life through her words that have built a world, characters and scenes that are so realistic, the world fades away. I laughed, cried, and gasped as I devoured each and every page. In a world filled with wonderful paranormal romance authors, Scarlett Dawn is a shining star of talent!
I received this copy from Harlequin Enterprises Australia/Escape Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Forever Evermore Trilogy, Book 2
Publication Date: January 1, 2014
Publisher: Escape Publishing
ISBN: 9780857991232
Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance
Number of Pages: 432
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Scarlett Dawn has made her own magic come to life through her words that have built a world, characters and scenes that are so realistic, the world fades away. I laughed, cried, and gasped as I devoured each and every page. In a world filled with wonderful paranormal romance authors, Scarlett Dawn is a shining star of talent!
I received this copy from Harlequin Enterprises Australia/Escape Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Forever Evermore Trilogy, Book 2
Publication Date: January 1, 2014
Publisher: Escape Publishing
ISBN: 9780857991232
Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance
Number of Pages: 432
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
July 1, 2014
I probably won't be coherent in this review because I am still CRYING from reading the last chapter.
Sometimes you read a book... And you are grinning like an idiot because you are so in love with some of the characters? Well in this book I was in love with ALL of them. The Kings? Elders? Prodigies? Everyone. This author is a MASTER of making you feel her characters. They are fully developed and masterfully written (I am not saying the WRITING was masterful-She is a plot genius!
Several times I put my book down because I was reading too fast and my heart was on the outside of my body. And I couldn't decided if I wanted to throw up or scream, because I was so anxious.
This book does have a lot of adult content- which is the only thing that makes me sad- I want to pass it around to my more conservative friends because this is a story that EVERYONE will love- but some people can't handle the steam... And ooohhh man... There is steam.
DAMN YOU, SCARLET!!!!!! You are NOT a nice person. My heart is in little tiny pieces!!! I cannot be held responsible for ANY of my actions until I have the third book in my hand and you make this RIGHT! You know what you did!
FIX THIS!!! FIX IT NOW!!!
Sometimes you read a book... And you are grinning like an idiot because you are so in love with some of the characters? Well in this book I was in love with ALL of them. The Kings? Elders? Prodigies? Everyone. This author is a MASTER of making you feel her characters. They are fully developed and masterfully written (I am not saying the WRITING was masterful-She is a plot genius!
Several times I put my book down because I was reading too fast and my heart was on the outside of my body. And I couldn't decided if I wanted to throw up or scream, because I was so anxious.
This book does have a lot of adult content- which is the only thing that makes me sad- I want to pass it around to my more conservative friends because this is a story that EVERYONE will love- but some people can't handle the steam... And ooohhh man... There is steam.
DAMN YOU, SCARLET!!!!!! You are NOT a nice person. My heart is in little tiny pieces!!! I cannot be held responsible for ANY of my actions until I have the third book in my hand and you make this RIGHT! You know what you did!
FIX THIS!!! FIX IT NOW!!!
March 4, 2015
Amazing series!
November 11, 2017
The book was good. Im just fucking pissed about how it ended...and the latest developments.
Holy crap, this book was good.
Ezra sizzles off the pages. However once Lily and Ezra go together they are together a lot on the pages...
For a while Ezra and Lily try to keep away from their attraction to each other. But eventually they give in. And when they do they are all consumed.
I really enjoyed their banter, their time together. I enjoyed how they ate their food on an unconscious level. It was so great to see, how in sync they were. How they started to fall in love.
How well Jack, Pearl, Ezra and Lily worked together and were together were also wonderful to me. Their bond was so strong. But I disliked how it needed to be altered to fit into the public Mys opinion. I disliked how they didn't buck the status quo. I wanted them to do something. Be something.
So much happens in this book it's amazing. It felt like the book was really long and yet not long enough. I loved this book a lot.
Until the stupid ending.
Until the cliff hanger.
Until the stupid mind wipe just because they love and had a sexual relationship with a different faction. It's really stupid, and none of this prejudice is really explained well. Her hybrid nature is always mentioned and yet no one really seems to care when they find out. They all accept her. *sigh*
Still I loved this book.
Holy crap, this book was good.
Ezra sizzles off the pages. However once Lily and Ezra go together they are together a lot on the pages...
For a while Ezra and Lily try to keep away from their attraction to each other. But eventually they give in. And when they do they are all consumed.
I really enjoyed their banter, their time together. I enjoyed how they ate their food on an unconscious level. It was so great to see, how in sync they were. How they started to fall in love.
How well Jack, Pearl, Ezra and Lily worked together and were together were also wonderful to me. Their bond was so strong. But I disliked how it needed to be altered to fit into the public Mys opinion. I disliked how they didn't buck the status quo. I wanted them to do something. Be something.
So much happens in this book it's amazing. It felt like the book was really long and yet not long enough. I loved this book a lot.
Until the stupid ending.
Until the cliff hanger.
Until the stupid mind wipe just because they love and had a sexual relationship with a different faction. It's really stupid, and none of this prejudice is really explained well. Her hybrid nature is always mentioned and yet no one really seems to care when they find out. They all accept her. *sigh*
Still I loved this book.
December 9, 2013
I have waited so long for this book to come out. I kept looking for it, waiting so impatiently, hoping each day that there would be an update as to when I could get my hands on it. And my wonderful, favorite author Scarlett did not disappoint me!!
This book is the second installment to the Forever Evermore trilogy.
In the last book, we were left with a war between the commoners and the Mysticals. This book opens right up where the last book left off; in the room with Lily, Ezra, Antonio, Ezra's mom, and a passed out Pearl and Jack. It is their mission to get Pearl, Jack, and the rest of the Mysticals they can save to safety; to King Cave.
King Cave was a myth. A story told by Antonio that Lily didn't really believe was true. Until she sees it for herself. As she travels to King Cave with the Mysticals she was able to save, she begins to wonder if she was really the chosen person for this job. What she doesn't know is what is in store for her.
There is a little bit of drag to the good part. The part I have been waiting for. The part that I was begging Scarlett in King Hall to "get on with it!!". Oh, she did not disappoint me!!! Ezra and Lily are so raw and steamy I could barely contain myself!! Holy Crap!!! I knew it was going to be good but I didn't know it was going to be that good!! There is so much going on between the two in the beginning of this book that you don't know the story from the hole in your butt! You hate him, and then you love him, and then you hate him!! I swear you are transported to King Cave and are in Lily's body and all you want to do is throw something at him!! LOL
But, Ezra does not disappoint us either. He has a few tricks up his sleeve and the truth comes out. And when it does, you WILL be FLOORED!! I could not believe what happens between the two of them. And it's only half way through the book. I thought, "Holy Crap!! What else is going to happen??!!"
After the middle of the book's emotional turmoil, things begin to pick up with the war and the relationships between everyone. But the calm waters don't last long as a terrible secret comes out that stops everyone in their tracks and threatens to break the whole group up. Not only between Lily and Ezra, but between Jack and Pearl!!
There comes a lull when all four of them are sent to find their prodigies, but something amazing, but very wrong happens that turns out to save their asses later in the story.
The end is going to kill you. It is going to rip out your heart, twist it around, shove it back down your throat, and then crack you in the chest to get it starting again. I can't believe you did this to me Scarlett!! I was in tears!! I couldn't sleep for two days!! Then the cliffhanger on top of that!!?? WHY!!!??? I kept screaming at my Nook, "COME ON LILY!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!"
This story is so fantastic I can't even give it 5 stars. It isn't enough. There aren't enough stars in the sky to give this book. I can not tell you enough in this small space how much I LOVED this book. I love this series through and through. Scarlett is seamless with her delivery of the story. She doesn't miss a beat and no author can leave you in the kind of suspense as she can. You are magnificent Scarlett and I CAN'T wait for book # 3; the final one in this trilogy.
Infinite Stars!!!!
January 14, 2014
This review and more at www.tattooedbookreview.com!
” ‘Open your eyes sweetheart. I want you to see who’s fucking you senseless.’ “
I’m heartbroken, and angry, and emotional, and in love with this book. Truth.
Why am I all of those things, you ask? Because once again, Scarlett Dawn has pulled me completely in to this world she has created, made me fall even more in love with these characters (if that is even possible), and then thrown this world and my emotions in to a tailspin.
Just as intense, if not more, than the first in the series, King Cave gives the reader a fully realized magical world, a brilliant cast of characters, heart-pounding action, danger, laugh out loud humor, heartbreak, friendship, love, and hot sex. Though I missed Jack and Pearl not being a huge part of the story, it was necessary in order to fully experience the chemistry and passion of Ezra and Lily. They are intense: one minute fighting, one minute laughing, and the next minute having amazing sex. I just couldn’t get enough of them. There are so many layers to their relationship: friends, lovers, and loyal comrades.
Every minute of this book kept my head and heart reeling, and the pages flying by. The unexpected just kept coming, and I’m once again impressed with the author’s bravery in the way she handles her characters and their story: she pulls no punches. The final pages of the book left me heartbroken, and just a tiny bit hopeful. It’s clear that even though we are well in to this amazing series, there is so much more story to come. I’ll let that glimmer of hope keep me going until the next installment.
“Straight to the crux of the matter. Duty, What we lived and breathed. I despised it most days… but hating it didn’t change the fact that it needed to be done.”
*I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
” ‘Open your eyes sweetheart. I want you to see who’s fucking you senseless.’ “
I’m heartbroken, and angry, and emotional, and in love with this book. Truth.
Why am I all of those things, you ask? Because once again, Scarlett Dawn has pulled me completely in to this world she has created, made me fall even more in love with these characters (if that is even possible), and then thrown this world and my emotions in to a tailspin.
Just as intense, if not more, than the first in the series, King Cave gives the reader a fully realized magical world, a brilliant cast of characters, heart-pounding action, danger, laugh out loud humor, heartbreak, friendship, love, and hot sex. Though I missed Jack and Pearl not being a huge part of the story, it was necessary in order to fully experience the chemistry and passion of Ezra and Lily. They are intense: one minute fighting, one minute laughing, and the next minute having amazing sex. I just couldn’t get enough of them. There are so many layers to their relationship: friends, lovers, and loyal comrades.
Every minute of this book kept my head and heart reeling, and the pages flying by. The unexpected just kept coming, and I’m once again impressed with the author’s bravery in the way she handles her characters and their story: she pulls no punches. The final pages of the book left me heartbroken, and just a tiny bit hopeful. It’s clear that even though we are well in to this amazing series, there is so much more story to come. I’ll let that glimmer of hope keep me going until the next installment.
“Straight to the crux of the matter. Duty, What we lived and breathed. I despised it most days… but hating it didn’t change the fact that it needed to be done.”
*I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 4, 2019
Heartbreaking ending. But I cannot wait to read book 3!
Reread 1/4/2019
I love this book! It's the book where Lily and Ezra's relationship shifts from best friends to being romantically involved and it's equally hot, cute, sweet, and devastatingly complex. There's some things that happen, such as and that really punch you in the gut, but it's a beautiful story. Of course, their romance is certainly not the only thing happening, as the Mysticals are gearing up for war, dealing with hybrids/beasts, and Pearl and Jack are dealing with the losses of their mates, to name a few things.
There is a pretty big shift from book one to book two, as book one really focuses on the friendship that forms between all of the prodigies, who are Jack, Pearl, Lily, and Ezra, and making them all love and trust each other platonically, especially as future rulers. Book two, however, has a big focus on romance, as Lily and Ezra get together, and that comes with a whole host of new experiences and problems. Pearl and Jack also lose their mates (in book one, I believe at the end) and deal with that heartache. And . Book two really increases the complexity of relationships, and it also advances the plot in other ways. I will say that while I understand why, I do miss the friendship focus of book one, as there are less moments with all four of them, and more just with Ezra and Lily (who I love, so it's not a bad trade). Anyway, it's an interesting shift.
In conclusion to my rambling review, this book is amazing, and it has a whole host of incredible things to offer. I'd recommend it to fans of the first book, and the series to anyone, as it is one of my favorites! 5 stars!
Reread 1/4/2019
I love this book! It's the book where Lily and Ezra's relationship shifts from best friends to being romantically involved and it's equally hot, cute, sweet, and devastatingly complex. There's some things that happen, such as and that really punch you in the gut, but it's a beautiful story. Of course, their romance is certainly not the only thing happening, as the Mysticals are gearing up for war, dealing with hybrids/beasts, and Pearl and Jack are dealing with the losses of their mates, to name a few things.
There is a pretty big shift from book one to book two, as book one really focuses on the friendship that forms between all of the prodigies, who are Jack, Pearl, Lily, and Ezra, and making them all love and trust each other platonically, especially as future rulers. Book two, however, has a big focus on romance, as Lily and Ezra get together, and that comes with a whole host of new experiences and problems. Pearl and Jack also lose their mates (in book one, I believe at the end) and deal with that heartache. And . Book two really increases the complexity of relationships, and it also advances the plot in other ways. I will say that while I understand why, I do miss the friendship focus of book one, as there are less moments with all four of them, and more just with Ezra and Lily (who I love, so it's not a bad trade). Anyway, it's an interesting shift.
In conclusion to my rambling review, this book is amazing, and it has a whole host of incredible things to offer. I'd recommend it to fans of the first book, and the series to anyone, as it is one of my favorites! 5 stars!
January 1, 2014
Having been totally enthralled by the world Scarlett Dawn created in King Hall, I was thrilled to be one of the first people to get the chance to read King Cave. It didn't disappoint.
I'd been left desperate to know whether Lily, Ezra, Pearl and Jack all managed to escape at the end of book one, and how they would all cope in the aftermath of the attack.
King Cave focuses on Lily and Ezra, and how their friendship changes as they try and deal with the challenges of life as leaders. I felt that this relationship was portrayed in a realistic way without being too perfect, so I was always wanting to turn the page and see how things turned out. Lily's interactions with the Kings was one of my favourite parts of the book - she holds her own as a female character in an uncomfortable setting, and that really appealed to me.
The ending of King Cave was really quite unexpected, and left me wishing the next installment was ready for me to read! This is one of those series of books where part of me wishes I'd come across them once they were all complete, as I'd have read them back to back!
(I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion).
I'd been left desperate to know whether Lily, Ezra, Pearl and Jack all managed to escape at the end of book one, and how they would all cope in the aftermath of the attack.
King Cave focuses on Lily and Ezra, and how their friendship changes as they try and deal with the challenges of life as leaders. I felt that this relationship was portrayed in a realistic way without being too perfect, so I was always wanting to turn the page and see how things turned out. Lily's interactions with the Kings was one of my favourite parts of the book - she holds her own as a female character in an uncomfortable setting, and that really appealed to me.
The ending of King Cave was really quite unexpected, and left me wishing the next installment was ready for me to read! This is one of those series of books where part of me wishes I'd come across them once they were all complete, as I'd have read them back to back!
(I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion).
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