4.5 Stars

The fourth and final book in Inferno Rising, The Cursed King is a well delivered conclusion. Twists and turns at time left me wondering how the author would bring everything together but alas she didn’t disappoint. The story was captivating and well written, the characters were engaging and dynamic and the conclusion had me closing the book and thinking what a truly great series. If you like this genre do yourself a favor and grab this series

Airk and Angelika's story may be the most emotional of them all. Fighting against feeling insignificant, fighting against anger and hopelessness, fighting against the knowledge of failure doesn't only weigh heavy on the physical, but the mental. Will these two find a way to come together, bring back hope and challenge the false High King? Will the premonitions and the magic find a way to bring forth possibility and hope? Will the phoenix and the dragon create a new world order? The finale to the series.

Let me just say that I have been waiting and waiting for this story!! I thought I was excited for Rune's story but then when I heard about this one, I realized exactly how much I really wanted his story!! And it is EVERYTHING! Airk Azdajah is the rightful King of the White clan of dragons. Only instead of being King, he spent his life being tortured by Pytheios. All because of a curse that said that the man who killed him would die himself. Now he is free of his cage but always being hunted. Angelika Amon is the last unmated phoenix sister. But she also has no powers, they are dormant. And she hates that because of it, she is often left on the sidelines looking in. Not feeling a part of what is going on because she is considered fragile. But she also feel's she has just as much right as the other's to want revenge against their parent's killer. So she offers herself to Airk as a mate in the hopes that it will help make a place for them both. But he has no use for her any more than anyone else does. Well, not until Pytheios sets his sights on her.

I absolutely loved this story!! Not only do we get to understand exactly what happened to Airk while he was being held but we also get more of the backstory as to what happened to Angelika's parent's. And we also learn that there is more at play than what was previously shown-there is more going on in the background than even I had realized! Including to a certain informant! I didn't know if I would truly like Airk. But then when you realize what he is dealing with and trying to handle all on his own-everything makes sense! And it made me love him even more! And Angelika-there is definitely more to her than even I thought! I loved every moment of this book! And it couldn't have ended more perfectly! There were definitely some tears involved but it was awesome!!

I'm torn, I want to write a review about how good this book and in fact, the whole series has been, which it is and has. But, this is the last book and I'm really sad about that. Of course, I knew that it was coming and knowing that it was the last book didn't make me take it any slower or take time to savour the book, but even so, I am really sad that it's over.
I'm sure that The Cursed King would work as a stand-alone novel. However, it works far far better as the conclusion to all that we have read in both the Inferno Rising and Fire's Edge series. It feels very much as though everything that we have learnt or wondered about in the previous books is finally wrapped up and explained.
Angelika is the fourth phoenix but unlike her three older sisters, she has shown no sign of any powers. When she meets damaged Airk, who has spent nearly all of his long life in prison, she feels an immediate connection to him. He doesn't trust himself around someone as pure and lovely as Angelika and does all that he can to avoid her.
As sad as I am that this series is now over, it offered everything that I was looking for. All of my questions were answered and the things that had been hinted about made sense. It was nice to see that many of the things that I had wondered about were explained. This has been a fantastic series and I was really happy with the way that everything was finally wrapped up. As I mentioned, the only thing that has left me a bit sad is that it is now over.
Overall this was a great book and one that I would recommend.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

3.75 stars

this was fantastic!
i love the worldbuilding in this series and the callbacks we have in every book.
the romance especially in this one was scorching hot! I love the growth in Airk was amazing i started this book not really liking him and ended up adoring him!
Overall a very satisfying conclusion to a very sexy PR series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the change to read this book in exchnge for an honest review.

The Cursed King is the fourth book in the Inferno Rising series by Abigail Owen. A romantic paranormal fantasy with a hint of suspense that makes this one hard to put down. The fourth and final book in the Inferno Rising series, The Cursed King, is an epic conclusion and a fantastic read. I enjoyed reading this supernatural world of dragons and phoenixes, wolves, witches, gargoyles, deadly adversaries, power-hungry antagonists, and a love story to end all love stories.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was clever, steamy, funny and fast-paced. It captured my interest and I didn't want to put it down. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it is #4 in the Inferno Rising series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I don’t know how to say goodbye to the Inferno Rising Series. By saying goodbye to Inferno Rising, I’m also saying goodbye to Fire’s Edge, which means I’m saying goodbye to all my favorite dragon shifters. A whole species! Sounds silly, I guess, but it is truly heartbreaking for me.

Airk and Angelika really did well as the final pair in the series. Angelika, the final phoenix, unsure of her place or her ability to fulfill any destiny, since what good is a phoenix with no powers? And Airk, after having been locked away and tortured for over 500 years, a shifter afraid to shift, sees his inability to shift as reason enough that he’s unfit to be the White Dragon Clan king. What a pair! Watching them struggle through the war against Pytheios, trying to unite the clans to bring down the rotting king, all the while fighting their deep-seated love for each other, was an exercise in frustration to say the least. But an amusing exercise as well.

Abigail Owen first caught my attention with The Mate, book 1 in Fire's Edge series, and that was all it took. I was well and truly caught. I devoured every book I could and waited impatiently for each new one to come out. And I have loved every single one. At one point it occurred to me that she had written other series as well, so I started reading in backwards order, going all the way back to Svatura, her first series. It's always a joy watching a young author blossom, but watching it backwards? Now, that was fun! I’m so glad I did, too. Because Abigail Owen has grown to become one of the top PNR/UF writers out there, and she’s finally getting recognition for that. Closing out another series, a partner series to Fire’s Edge, is so hard because I always fall in love with the characters and the worlds she creates. But I have a feeling we’ll see more from this world in novellas or incorporated in other series’ down the line.

However, no matter what Abigail comes out with next, I have no doubt in my mind that I will love every word.

Excellently done, Abigail Owen!!! Excellently done indeed!

You have to read this whole series to really appreciate this book. We get a few chapters from the POV of the other kings and phoenixes. I'm sad to see the series come to an end but the conclusion was satisfying.
Did anyone else find Airk particularly stubborn?

Airk Azdajah, the rightful King of the White Clan, spent most of his life imprisoned and tortured by the false High King. The only reason he is still alive is the curse that says that the man who kills him will be consumed by his own fire. Unable to shift all those years has left his dragon feral and Airk feeling unworthy of taking his rightful place.

Angelika Amon is the last unmated phoenix. But she has no powers. With her sisters mated to powerful kings and able to join in the fight, Angelika hates being unable to take down the man who killed her parents.

She offers herself as a mate to Airk, hoping it will help recruit the White Clan to their side before the big fight takes place. He flat-out rejects her offer. What good is he to the cause if he can't shift? And if he can't control his dragon how can he keep her safe?

Thanks so much to Entangled, Abigail Owen and NetGalley for this ARC to review

Let me just say this series has become one of my favorites ever. And this book is so good I wish I could give it more stars. The world building of this series is amazing and I felt like I could see it all. I believe she saved the best for last. The romance, the suspense, the action, the love leaping out of the pages is just amazing. I wish I had the words to described how it made me feel. I kept finding myself gasping and covering my mouth with my hands as I was feeling so many emotions as I read this book. Read this series, you will not regret it. Well done Abigail Owen.

The fourth sister, Angelika Amon, the only phoenix sister without powers--is posing as a wolf to ensure her safety among the dragon-shifters of the Blue Clan, she's both isolated and included in a world that she was taught to fear. Airk--the once captive heir to the White Clan's throne refuses to release the dragon raging inside of him. In a thrilling tale and the final installment of the Inferno Rising series, we find out if indeed the phoenixes and their dragons can take down Pytheios. Will Angelika find her mate in the midst of the battle?

This is definitely a new favorite of mine! As expected I was enthralled from the moment I picked up the book! From thrilling battles with high stakes, a vibrant world full of shifters, every story she writes gives me goosebumps and keeps me on the edge of my seat! The Cursed King is no different! I love her sassy characters and spicy romances. I'm sad to see this series come to an end, but I can't wait to see what's in store for us next!

I think a very real part of me is still in disbelief that this incredible series is finally over. We have been enveloped in this story of dragon shifters, phoenixes, kings vs. king and good against evil for not only four books in this Inferno Rising series, but also an additional five primary works in the companion Fire's Edge series. It's definitely possible I'll be going through an intense period of withdrawal over the next few months. However, I'm also thrilled that we could close out this series with two leading characters who once again manage to capture our hearts in the midst of perhaps more crushing adversity than any other dragon or phoenix has experienced so far in either series. Honestly, I didn't even know that was still possible at this point! Every novel has presented us with two destined mates who somehow face debilitating challenges head-on, all in the hopes of saving their clans from the centuries of manipulative rule at the hands of a mad-king drunk from power. We've always seen two strong lead characters who are stronger together as a pair than apart, and while that is also true in many ways of Angelika and Airk, this is really the first time that we've examined a couple who are seen by both themselves and others as a liability.

They are determined to join in the fight against King Pytheios, but before they can do that they must first prove their worth to those who constantly try to push them to observe from the sidelines. Angelika might be a phoenix like her powerful sisters, but unlike them any power she may have been willed by her dying mother lies dormant within her. Instead, her primary strength involves convincing other dragons to join in their fight against evil. Airk on the other hand has almost too much power within him. After centuries of imprisonment by King Pytheios, and his dragon trapped within his mind with no ability to fly free, this beast has become a feral creature within him rather than a seamless part of him. To release his dragon now would run the risk of never being able to rein him back in again. Something Airk fears even more though than his dragon overtaking his very existence is the possibility of his creature harming Angelika in the process through her determination to have them mated. He can try to fight their connection as much as he wants, but if this series has taught us anything, it's that two destined mates with this amount of scorching natural chemistry will never be able to stay apart for long.

Even though I didn't want to see this series come to an end, I must say it was one of the more perfect examples of how to bring a long-running series to a close. We saw all of the key players from the previous novels, the companion series, and even a surprise appearance from those in another series by this author that I didn't even realize was going to play a role in the events of this final book! The beauty of how all of our characters came together in this ultimate battle wasn't just that we see how willing they were to support each other, or that we were granted one final opportunity to be in their presence before having to say goodbye. Instead, it highlights that no one character, or even one couple from this series, would have been able to face King Pytheios alone. It literally takes every single one of them joining together as an ultimate source of power to even stand a chance in the face of such evil.

Another feature of this series which is highlighted particularly well in this last book is the political struggle for power over the dragon clans. Up until this point, we've always known that King Pytheios is the premier representation of evil, unwilling to give up his reign. We are also privy to the extremes he's gone to up to now in order to not only assume power, but to keep it. He betrayed his rulers, his people, and even his family to stay on the throne. And while part of this can be explained away as someone consumed with power, this final book reveals how much he believed his actions were in fact for the betterment of dragons everywhere. In a way, he too thought he was on the side of right, battling against those who were trying to take their society backwards to the way things used to be living under the rule of phoenixes rather than dragons. It finally provides a window into why King Pytheios fought with such ferocity. It wasn't simply that he didn't want to give up power, it's that he also believed in what he was fighting for, however misguided and based in misconceptions he may have been in the end.

There are two critical details to keep in mind before starting this read, which can also apply to any final book in your favorite series. 1) Treasure each and every turn of the page that you get to spend with these characters for the last time. I can only keep my fingers crossed that maybe one day in the future we'll see a light-hearted follow up novella which details what our characters are up to following the concluding events in this book. 2) Seeing as this is the final novel, all bets are off. You never know which characters might survive or ultimately fall to the forces of evil. It adds a thrilling level of suspense as you constantly wonder how or if our heroes will succeed. While the progression of some events were a bit tricky to follow along with logistically, overall this was a breathtaking and electrifying climax to the series.

Wonderful conclusion to the Inferno Rising series!

The Cursed King is Angelika and Airk's story and I just love them. They share a common bond of feeling useless because their powers are dormant but their similarities, for the most part, end there. This book is fantasy, action, and drama but also grumpy/sunshine, back and forth romance. I love a good fantasy story but sometimes, I find the romance can get lost in the explanation of the world. In The Cursed King, the romance and spice is woven perfectly throughout so Angelika and Airk's relationship and the story develop at the same time.

The love between mates in this series is seriously swoon-worthy and Angelika and Airk are no exception!

The Cursed King by Abigail Owens
Last book, #4, of the Inferno Rising series. Paranormal dragon shifter romance.
Angelika, the last Phoenix sister to mate. Strategic or for romance? She offers herself to Airk, a white dragon. Airk has never let his dragon free considering his 500 years of captivity and doesn’t trust that he ever will. Angelika deserves more than he can give. At least until he has some competition.

The ultimate goal of of the dragon clans the sisters have mated into, is to defeat the dragon that killed their parents, Pytheios. His witch has made a false Phoenix, tricking, killing and cheating his way to High King.
This story is a relief in a way. Finally, we get to see this monster defeated. That’s not really a spoiler as this is the conclusion to the series. And it’s romance. While the whole series aims at this goal, Pytheios takes up only a portion of this story. Mostly this is Angelika deciding she wants to be an important part of the battle and not just hidden away. And wow, she stands up and becomes an influencer. Airk is a bit angsty but that is to be expected after his being held prisoner for so long.
A sexy romance between Angelika and Airk repeats as he says “no” until they find their way.
A satisfying conclusion to a hot (lots of fire with dragons and Phoenix) and sexy paranormal romance series.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

This book was alright. Everything unknown to people who are reading it as a standalone was covered, although I thought it could have been longer. Overall it was pretty decent and the action part of it was great, as well as the relationship dynamic.

ARC received for review

Last book in the fight against the evil Red King. It was my least favorite of the series. It is a standalone, but you might be lost if you haven't read the previous books.

It felt rushed at times and super slow at others. Arik and Angelika's relationship was just off for most of it. It did like the way they resolved who was the high king since there are now so many phoenix's

What a fantastic finale!
This series has been so enjoyable. I am a big Abigail Owen fan and this was everything I expected it to be and more.
I loved reading about these two misfits. They each have a beautiful story of self discovery. The romance is done really well too. It developed naturally and was super swoon worthy.
The cover is gorgeous and I cannot wait to get a physical copy to display on my shelf.

Airk is a white dragon looking for revenge. After hundreds of years of captivity he’s finally free, but can one truly be free when their other dragon half is still locked up, never to be free for fear of going feral? Angelika is also looking for revenge. As the last Phoenix daughter and the only one without any special powers, she feels lost and alone as her sisters are all mated and able to help their cause with their Phoenix powers, until she comes up with the idea of uniting the last dragon clans with Airk’s help, much to his dismay. Her sunny and cheerful outlook on life is slowly breaking through Airk’s dour attitude but can they ever be free to be together? And will it be outside forces or their own stubbornness that separates them? This is the final book in the Phoenix sisters series and really ties up all the loose ends. There is plenty of action and drama, with lots of familiar faces from the other books in this series as well as the dragon series I just wish there was a bit more romance, although there is plenty of sparks flying off the two leads. I really think you need to read the other books in this series to truly enjoy this one as there are a lot of details that effect the outcome of this story, but it definitely does not disappoint. I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review. 4.5 stars

I have been waiting for the last book! This was a fantastic and epic read! Airk and Angelika story flowed right from the start. We have Airk who was Pytheios captive and Angelika the last remaining phoenix not mated. Angelika comes up with a plan to make Airk take her as mate. Airk has other ideas and to stay far away. Angelika is haven't it and pushes Airk going back and forth between love and rejection. The whole book is full of romance, action, danger, friendship, and loyalty. This book is the final battle between the evil rotting King and the good Kings of the Clans. The twist and turns between Airk and Angelika makes this story even better. I do not want to give to much information to spoil the book for those that are waiting, but this amazing series concludes with a happy every after for all the mates. I never wanted the series to end and hope to see more spinoffs in the future. This is a one-click buy for me and a loyal reader still!


**I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book from the Entangled Publishing/Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

This is the fourth book in the Inferno Rising series, and focuses on the last of the phoenix sisters. Everyone loves Angelika, but she feels inferior because she doesn’t have any special powers, unlike her three older sisters. But she is special, she can win over almost anyone with her positive attitude. And then there is Airk, the white dragon who has spent 500 years in a small cell as a prisoner to Pytheios, the Rotting King. When Aitk finally escapes, he can’t let his dragon finally come out, fearing his dragon is now feral. But Angelika believes he is her dragon, and that he will be the King of the white, no matter what Airk believes.

I liked how Angelika never really gave up on Airk, even as he avoided her whenever possible. And while feeling like she is somehow less than her sisters, she always keeps up her determination to make a difference. And it was fun to catch up with everyone, including the wolves and gargoyles.

The story is intense; sad in places, joyful in others. I never knew quite what would come next, and it kept surprising me up to the end. The is was perfecting ending to this series.

Thanks to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and Abigail Owen for an advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.