WHAT. A. BOOK!! You will NOT be disappointed! If you love enemies to lovers trope and an arranged marriage then you are going to be hooked. I devoured this book in just over 24 hours and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

Isolde is a kick-ass female character and Adrian...he is hot as hell! And the plot twist...well you'll have to read to find out!

I LOVED this book! Wow...I couldn't put it down and can't wait for the next book. Five fabulous stars. Terrific world building. I want my own Adrian the vampire. Their chemistry was off the charts! I really enjoyed and whipped through the author's other books (Hades and Persephone...blew up on TikTok and I grabbed it!), but this one was even better. It is in the best way possible, similar to the Blood and Ash series. Totally my jam.

I pictured Adrian as Alucard from Castlevania, anyone else? Legit a spitting image besides the eye color.

I always seem to have a bit of trouble getting into this authors writing style at first, so the first 100 pages were a little rough for me. But once I got over that hump I really did enjoy this book.
If I had one other complaint it would be that our main female protagonist is a little unlikable at times. She is extremely brash and kinda rude to people often in this book and it just rubbed me the wrong way. I think the author was trying to show her as a strong female that doesn't take shiz from anyone but she just came off as a bitch at times.

I will be checking out the sequel because of Adrian!

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas' Crescent City series! I really enjoyed learning about this world through the eyes of the protagonist, and I can't wait to learn more! Sizzling romance and a female main character that can hold her own on the battlefield - definitely a winner!

The writing is clunky at best, but the story is a fun vampire spin. I think this book will find its audience.

TWs: blood, violence, death, graphic sex, vampires and all their bloodsucking, i think that's it?
OKAY so I’m a Scarlett St. Clair virgin, so I went into this book without having ever read anything by her. I did not expect to love it as much as I did. Here are my thoughts:

THINGS I DID NOT LIKE:
World-building - I feel like the world-building was weak, especially in the first half. There were moments in this book where it felt like this should have been a second book.
Balance - This is similar to the world-building problem, but I feel as if the second half of this really out-shined the first half.
Smut - I LOVE SMUT. But these smut scenes were subpar, in my opinion. They were short and sweet (which I know some people love), but I love the long and disgustedly detailed smut scenes. Don’t be shy, Scarlett, I know you can draw these out.

THINGS I DID LIKE:
Vampires - I know vampires became like, “not cool”, in 2012, but I never outgrew them. There’s something that will always be weirdly erotic about drinking someone’s blood.
Plot twist - I GUESSED IT. I NEVER GUESS THE PLOT TWIST. BUT I FINALLY DID. The foreshadowing was amazing, and I somehow managed to put all the pieces together. Scarlett St. Clair really took a big risk with this but she totally served.
Romance - I don’t even know how to describe the romance. Enemies to lovers? Kind of? But who needs a label when the TENSION WAS AMAZING. I was rooting for Adrian and Isolde the whole time.
Representation - A mixed plus size MC!!! And she’s badass!!! I love Isolde and I love that Scarlett St. Clair did not fall into any stereotypes. Also, like everyone is gay, and that’s iconic.

Overall, I actually loved this book. I am definitely going to read the other books in this series when they come out, and I’m defiantly going to read the Hades and Persephone Saga.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

King of Battle and Blood is the first Scarlett St. Clair book I have read and I can honestly say it will not be the last.

Initially, it took me a bit to get into the story and I was worried that it would be an exact replica of another popular fantasy vampire romance series, but the Blood King and his Queen held their own. Adrian and Isolde's story was a rollercoaster of emotions, dark magic, violence and smut and I was thoroughly entertained.

I cannot wait to discover more of the world Ms. St. Clair created and I hope we get to see Adrian and Isolde defeat their enemies together and finally get their long-awaited happy ending in book two of this series.

Action packed story with great world building! I absolutely loved Adrian and his vampires, the lore behind the world is interesting and unique and the twist is to die for! I can’t wait to see what happens next.

So I’ll start with saying I’m not a frequent romance or erotica reader - at least not the published kind. I’ve haunted AO3 for years, and every now and then I’ll pick up a romance in a bookstore, but the whole fantasy/erotica mix that SJM made huge largely passed me by. I haven’t read any of Scarlett St Clair’s other books, nor Armentrout’s (which I have heard this compares to). So I’m going to try to talk about this book with the full admittance that I’m not its target audience, and try to be as fair as possible.

“The King of Battle and Blood” is the story of Isolde, who is forced to marry her kingdom’s worst enemy: Adrian, the Blood King and the King of Vampires. This book primarily focuses on Isolde realizing that her country’s version of history may not be the most accurate, and that maybe Adrian isn’t as bad as he seems despite being a bloodthirsty vampire. Also, someone is targeting her for death - who? Why? And why did Adrian choose to marry her above anyone else?

Tropes fly nearly as frequently as the panties in this book - if you’re fond of forced marriage and enemies to lovers, “King of Battle and Blood” has these in spades. I’d argue that it’s more “enemies and lovers”, at least in the first part of the book - Isolde is attracted to and having sex with Adrian pretty much from the get-go, but it takes her longer to trust him.

There’s another trope in here that I can’t mention because it’s a big spoiler, but it’s not one I enjoy or like, unfortunately. Fans of fated love will dig it.

My main issue with this book was that so little happened. We were at 40% by the time Isolde arrives in her new kingdom. The first nearly half of the book was just her being strong, sassy, and sex-positive, at least until she starts having sex with Adrian and feeling bad about it. The plot starts kicking into gear very late in the book - 80% maybe? But if you put a gun to my head I’d have to be vague about the worldbuilding here. It’s very trickle-truth until you get to the waterhose of information about witches and blank mysterious tomes and burning pyres. The characters too were very thinly painted: Isolde is fine if a little dense (I wanted to yell at her about obvious foreshadowing five times) and Adrian is The Perfect Sexy Man God Thing, but I did appreciate how dedicated he was to minding Isolde’s consent and boundaries. That was nice. The smut was fine. Nothing too wild but enough that you’d want to keep the windows rolled up when listening to the audiobook in the car.

Would I read the follow up to this book? Nah. I confirmed that this genre of book is not my thing. That said, if you’re looking for a book that has a ton of sex, some light fantasy worldbuilding, some vampires, and lengthy descriptions of fashionable dresses (not snark, I like dresses), “King of Battle and Blood” may be right up your alley. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC!

I can see why the author's books are popular but I felt like there was something missing for me. I guess I didn't connect with the characters as much as I hoped that I would. I didn't become personally vested in the book and that kept me from loving it as much as I feel that I could have. This will definitely have an audience and sell well.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this it had all the elements i like to look for in a book strong characters, enemies to lovers trope, smut and interesting world building.

If you aren't keen on explicit sex scenes or vampires this might not be the book for you.

Can't wait for the second book in the series to be released.

with how good a touch of darkness said I think this one it will do just as good. it has spice, tension, awesome fighting scenes

This book was such a swoon worthy read!!! The tension between the two main characters and the intricate world building had me immersed in the story from page one! Scarlett St. Clair has such a unique way of twisting how we imagine fantasy and romance that we, as the reader, cannot help but keep reading! A solid page turner!! If you are in the mood for a great fantasy, paranormal romance than this is the book for you!

I have loved Scarlett since A touch of Darkness and when I saw she was writing a Vampire book I was super excited for it! Isolde is a strong willed, knows what she wants, sexually empowered princess and to save her people and her kingdom, she must marry the Oldest Vampire, the Blood King, Adrian. I Loved Adrian from the start, he gave very much, “BURN DOWN THE WORLD FOR MY GIRL” vibes and I was here for it. Issi I found at times cold and abrupt, but that is honestly what made her who she was and I wish I could channel her attitude. The story was sexy(because lets face it, vampires are sexual beings) and gritty and at times suspenseful. There were a few twist that I wasn’t prepared for and then a few I was. Scarlett's writing sucked me in as always and was compelling everything i thought it would be and will definitely leave you wanting more!

King of Battle and Blood was my first foray into the writing of Scarlett St. Clair and I am beyond excited to have finally been introduced. A land of kingdoms being conquered by a vampire king, all manner of undead and monstrous creatures plaguing the land, and a warrior Princess faced with the choice of war or marriage to her enemy- the vampire king!

My favorite aspect of the novel is that the author takes fantasy and breaks historical and societal norms and constraints. While this is still a patriarchal and religious society, unmarried women are not bound to the constraints placed on us in reality. Isolde, our heroine is a trained warrior (who can fight even in a dress), she takes lovers as she pleases, and loves the zaftig-esq body that she is in. While the hero is all that we wish for, powerful, dangerous, feared, beautiful, and above all has built his vampire kingdom on the principles of consent. He is sincere, ruthless, and dreamy.

The story feels a bit cut short, I am assuming because we are ending on a cliffhanger, that the next book will follow our lovers on their journey to conquer all 9 kingdoms in order to save them from evil!!!

King of Battle and Blood sucks you in with vampires, war, enemies to lovers, and morally gray characters. Isolde is a badass who must battle between her love for her father and country and her desire for Adrian, the vampire Blood King who has taken over not only her country but claimed her as his bride. Adrian, who will not apologize for concurring the kingdoms, also won't apologize for his love and care for his new bride. Together they must face magic that is threatening both their worlds.

I give it a 4.5, The book is written in past tense which both feels and reads weird to me and often took me out of the story, making it more difficult to enjoy. But other than that it is a fantastic read and I can't wait for book 2.

I think it was overall a really enjoyable book and I'm definitely looking forward to the next one of the series. If you're a fan of the fantasy romance genre, and aren't faint of heart (lots of steamy scenes) then this is a must have book on your to be read pile. The plot is not an entirely new concept, the 'wedding the enemy and planning to kill him, only to begin questioning if he truly is the enemy' trope is one I've read plenty of, however I give credit to St. Clair expertly controlling the pace of the book. She is thorough and keeps things moving. I have a habit of skip reading when a book begins to bore me, but I read this entire book in one day- no skipping. It's an easy read and will hook you.

The one downside to previewing a book like this one is that the wait for the next in the series will feel painfully long.
Isolde is everything I love in a main character, not taking shit from anyone and remaining confident in who she is even when she questions her loyalties. The fact that she won't hesitate to call out -or straight up stab - anyone who treats her poorly is truly icing on the cake.
Adrian remains a dangerous mystery throughout most of this novel, and though he is quick to behead anyone who disrespects Isolde, he never turns his anger towards her - even when she tries to kill him.
I went into this book thinking it would be mostly war and battles, however the first half of the book I would say is mainly Isolde and Adrian having hate sex and I am NOT mad about it. The second half of the book is action packed and has a betrayal that you hoped would not come.
Clear your schedule, because you won't want to put this one down once you start.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

So this is the first book I've read from this author and I had no idea what I was in for. I was pleasantly surprised when I got so engrossed in the story that I glanced down at my location in the book only to realize I'd read nearly half of it in one sitting. (That's unusual for me)
I enjoy the enemies to lovers concept, and though at times I was a bit frustrated with Isolde, I loved Adrian from the moment he was introduced. 😍
I didn't get super attached to some of the side characters, and would have preferred even more time spent with Isolde and Adrian, but overall the character development was great. I enjoyed watching Isolde grown and evolve with each chapter.
I really enjoyed St. Claire's writing style and the world she built. Her other books are now on the top of my TBR pile.

Thankyou to NetGalley for the ability to read this great story!

First….AGH IT’S HERE IT’S HERE I CAN’T BELIEVE IT OMG OMG!!! I have a physical freaking ARC excuse me while I go cry into my pillow. It’s so beautiful 😭

Okay…okay, second…wow. Wow! This book was a complete and utter masterpiece. It’s taken me almost a week to pull myself together to put together a competent review. Isolde and Adrian are officially my new favorite bookish couple. When I finished reading through the digital arc of last Saturday, my first reaction was a speechless jaw drop. Then, I asked my bookish friends to find me a coffin and put me six feet under because the surprise twists and turns? Absolutely killer!

As always, @authorscarlettstclair has built a beautiful and intriguing world with a lead character you can’t help but root for. Isolde is an absolute badass queen who isn’t afraid to put those around her in check.

I have spent months searching for a dreamy vampiric book to curb my craving, but nothing was quite right. King of Battle and Blood? The sexy, vampire story of my dreams. Isolde and Adrian have the absolute best chemistry and when they finally gave into their feelings for each other? Everything I could want in an enemies to lovers story. King of Battle and Blood is everything I’ve been looking for and now I will be (im)patiently waiting for book two. I absolutely cannot wait for the rest of the world to get their hands on this! When you do, please DM me because I want to shout from castle tops about this book and fan girl with all of you.

*Disclaimer: I received this arc as part of Scarlett’s street team, but the review is completely my own thoughts and feelings.*