This is a very dark, spicy fantasy romance likely target to the slice of the ACOTAR audience that wants things a little bit messier. Quite a few triggers here. Very thorough world-building.

Okay, so let me tell you about "King of Flesh and Bone" by Liv Zander. This book? Absolute fire. It's like jumping into a fantasy world that's got everything: magic, intrigue, and some seriously intense moments.

First off, the story grabs you right from the get-go. We're thrown into this world where magic isn't just some fairy tale; it's real, it's raw, and it's kind of dangerous. The whole vibe is dark and mysterious, which I totally loved. You've got this mix of ancient curses, powerful magic, and characters who are struggling with some real heavy stuff.

The main character is a total standout. They're not your typical hero, which is refreshing. They've got depth, flaws, and a kind of grit that makes you root for them right from the start. And the journey they go on? It's wild. There are twists that had me like, "No way!" and moments where I couldn't hit pause because I needed to know what happened next.

Liv Zander's writing style is on point. It's descriptive enough to paint this vivid picture of the world but keeps the pace quick so you're never bored. The dialogue is sharp and feels real, like you could be overhearing actual conversations.

The whole magic system in this book is wicked cool, too. It's unique and well-thought-out, which makes the world feel even more alive and intriguing. Plus, the way the characters interact with this magic adds so much to the story and their development.

In short, "King of Flesh and Bone" is a must-read if you're into fantasy that's a bit darker and edgier. It's got that perfect mix of magic, drama, and a bit of romance that keeps things interesting. Liv Zander has knocked it out of the park with this one. Trust me, once you start this book, you're not going to want to put it down.

Holy moly this book is dark. I was not the intended audience for this. Ultimately I had to DNF. Please check the trigger warnings before reading. Thank you netgalley for an arc.

Holy trigger warnings...... Please PLEASE check your triggers before stepping into this lovely tidbit of a romance because holy Hera is it not for the faint of heart.

This dark romance made the rounds on Booktok for a while before I got a chance to nab a listen, so I feel like I was decently prepared. The world-building was great and the set-up was pretty good, especially if you power through and actually finish (which can be hard if your triggers get in the way). The chemistry wasn't really there for me, more lust than love. But maybe others interpreted it differently? 💁‍♀️ In my opinion, it was very much necromancer meets unseelie king with a large dose of masochism and misogyny. I am glad I finished it... But I don't find myself recommending it to anyone in my circle.😅

You have to have the right kind of reader for this book. I found it enjoyable and I thought the narrators did a pretty good job but I did think the overall plot was a little lacking. Not that erotica is known for the plot but it could have used a little more substance.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not for me. The synopsis was intriguing, but I did not care for the narration, and I was immediately put off by the king.

At least 3 book groups have recommended "King of Flesh and Bone," so I was very excited to get an audiobook from Netgalley for this one. I made it about 18% before I just couldn't take anymore. When it comes to smutty romance, I think I'm just picky. Hearing a woman do a sexy male voice by adding breathiness just didn't do it for me. Once it gets to the male PoV, the narrator changes-- but I just couldn't get into it.

I decided to restart and re-read the whole thing on Kindle Unlimited-- and I'm glad I gave this one a shot.This is a dark romance Beauty and the Beast retelling with a bit of Hades/Persephone thrown in. Because the lead male is a god that is the king of rot, I was also reminded of Raven Kennedy's Plated Prisoner series. It makes for a good combination :).

"King of Flesh and Bone" ends in a cliffhanger that takes about 40% of book two to get resolution for. Good to know that this is a duology though and both books have been published.

Make sure to check trigger warnings before reading this one, there are a lot of dark elements. Also, lots of obsession with having a baby. I think I've hit my baby book quota for the next month after this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape media for an audio copy of this book. My rating is based on the content of the book, and not the audiobook itself (or else this book would have definitely been a DNF for me).

Dnf at 76% (but to no fault of the book)

Okay, this book wasn’t bad for what it was!

I was intrigued by the synopsis, and the cover art may or may not have been a deciding factor to pick this one up. I knew this would be a spice-fest going in, and wanted to give it a try. However, I’ve come to realize I personally need a very specific ratio of 80/20 when it comes to plot/smut. This one falls more in the 30/70 ratio. (30 being the plot)

That said, this plot WAS intriguing enough to get me 76% of the way through. And the smut was… well. It was hot. But it was a lot, for me anyway 😂 still, NOT a bad read at all, and I enjoyed the dynamic between the MC and the love interest.

I recommend this if you’re looking for a super smutty read with a sexy God of the Underworld!

this was so good. like too good. I couldn't put it down and I loved every second of it. the suspense was incredible and the character development was amazing. I highly recommend.

Dark, smutty, and very well narrated. I loved it and will definitely continue the series. Thanks so much for this audiobook ARC!

King of Flesh and Bone is not a good natured romance. If you are a fan of horror or gory book, this one might appeal to you.
Ada lives in a world where the dead do not stay in the ground. While Ada was getting ready to weigh down her late husband’s grave her donkey dies. She decided to try to harness the animal anyway but gets caught in the ropes and drug straight to the court of the King of Flesh and Bone. Ada is not his prisoner and he is obsessed.
This story is not for everyone. I struggled to understand the world during the first few chapters but then I was hooked. There are a few sensitive topics mentioned like infertility, death, and torture.

Whew! This is a Very Dark Adult Romance.

First of all, this is not my cup of tea. And probably my last like this one. There were parts of this that I couldn’t quite stomach and maybe should have fast forwarded through.

That being said, this is a well written first book of two. The author truly builds a world that is unlike any other that I have ever read and does it in a way that you feel like you are there.
The dark god captor is flawed from things that you can understand, and it twists him into actions that are easy to imagine for a god with powers not grounded in the realm of human capability.

His captive love interest is flawed in real world ways. She is trapped in an accidental situation and forced to endure physical acts and brutality from her captor. (Which is what gave me the icky feelings.)

He is lonely and falls for her. He tries to force her mentally and physically to fall for him but only when he starts to let go of that control and shows hints of kindness does she start to fall for him also.

The narrators did an amazing job. Auri brought the suffering and hopelessness of the main female character to life. And I absolutely loved her Irish brogue for the god’s servant’s voice. Gregory did a great job as well (although I missed Auri’s brogue when he would narrate the servant.

All in all, the brutal scenes I could have done without (but that’s just me, if this is your cup of tea you will probably love them). But the story is extremely well written, and it should say a lot that the story was good enough to keep me listening through the icky parts and I still want to know the second part of the story.

This is 5 stars. Even if it wasn’t for me, I can’t avoid the facts that is very well done.

I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book despite having “digested” it for several days now. This book is absolutely dark, gory and macabre. The king of flesh and bone is very much a villain, you will find no redeemable qualities here and that’s fine! Love me a villain. That being said, despite the initially interesting characters, particularly the king of flesh and bone and his brothers, there isn’t much plot or character development. Things get sexual pretty fast and while I don’t normally mind, I feel like I would’ve appreciated more tension build up here. Moreover, this is marketed as a Dark Romance and I’m not sure I agree about the romance part… Erotica? Sure. But Romance? Mmm not so much. I can’t really say I felt a spark between the two main characters until maybe 50% in the book and even then, I find myself doubting whether Ada has genuine feelings for Enosh or just for something he can give her (not gonna say what cause it’s mildly spoilery).

Do be warned that this book delves into some very dark themes- this is stated but I don’t feel like the content warnings are sufficient… Content warnings include graphic sexual scenes, non-con/rape, violence/gore, illness/loss, miscarriage, infertility, still birth, infant loss, misogyny… and the list goes on. Loss/lack of free will is a recurring theme in this book.

Was I still intrigued by the world and the dark characters? Yup. Was it easy to read/get through? Relatively - I say this only because several things mentioned in the content warnings gave me pause, otherwise it was easy to get through. I listening to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrators as well.

A big thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Very dark. Lots of abuse. This is not for anyone who suffered SA or domestic violence. That being said I loved the world building and I am anxious to know what happens to the characters. If violence in a story is not triggering for you and you love dark fantasy this book is for you. I will be reading the next in the series.

This is the first book in The Pale Court duet, a dark PNR fantasy romance. This is the story of Enosh and Ada, we get both POVs, the story started slow, the pacing was slower than my usual but the idea of the story kept me reading, however the narrators Auri Alden and Gregory Salinas did a great job and had me very entertained listening to the story. The book ended on a cliffy so now I am looking forward to see how this continues.

I would like to start off by saying that I will be attempting to reread this book on kindle later.

Ok but to be completely honest, I had such issues with the volume that I dnfd this book. One character would talk too softly but another character would be shouting that I kept having to turn up and down the volume and I couldn’t get past that. But for that reason I hated the audiobook. I

Review for audiobook version

King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander is not a book for the faint hearted and overall is not a happy book. It is a book full of twists, turns, and hate; I loved it. Even after reading the description, I wasn’t truly sure what direction it was going to take, and I have to say it exceeded all expectations. Originally you feel for Ada, the main woman character, and highly dislike Enosh, the King. Yet, as the book progresses you learn more and struggle with how you feel towards Enosh just as Ada does. This is not a happy love story; it is cruel and dark. Originally it was not a book that usually would be read aloud but the woman reading as Ada has a voice the is very expressive and draws you into the story. There is also a massive cliff hanger at the end, which just leaves you eager to read the next one as soon as you possibly can.



Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to review King of Flesh and Bone! I have received an ARC through NetGalley for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

I would like thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of King of Flesh and Bones in exchange of my honest opinion.
Ada lives in a world full of death where, once dead, people do not rotten. Additionally, she and other women struggle with infertility and this seems to create a divide in the population. Meanwhile there is the King of Flesh and Bones that is sort of a God and acts like a necromancer, raising people from the death to work for him. Basically, he determined that Ada is his mate and they get together.
The world building was interesting and I could see the potential to develop a world in which this misogyny could play a bigger role. Additionally, I would think that the several sex scenes would benefit immensely with some good old tension. They kind of get together very soon and it felt really pointless, at least in the beginning. He wants her to love him but just do an effort after the 4th hookup even though he consider her his mate.
The romance (which supposedly is the plot of this book) was very underwhelming and the smut scenes was not hot at all.
Other than they get together nothing really happens until the last 95% of the book.
Overall, I was expecting a better tension between MCs, more of his "effort" to convince her that she was his mate, more of her struggles with this society and him being working with her in that and more sexier and less crude sex scenes.

This was a good read and I'm glad I took the time to finish it. I was a little hesitant in the first 20% but it definitely got better.

This was such a great listen,
I was able to listen to this during work at two times speed and I was in loss. The world that was created was phenomenal and the narrator did a fantastic job grasping it’s listeners.