This was a tough one. I was considering DNFing a few times tbh.

The overall story idea was intriguing at first but it fell flat the further it went on. And for a lot of the book the plot was seemingly left abandoned.
But my biggest problem with the book was the „relationship“ between the FMC and the MMC. It was more than painful. I don’t mind smut, and enjoy a dark romantasy if done right… that being said, this book wasn’t it. There was no romance. It was dark erotic fantasy at most. The MMC was atrocious to say the least and oh my, we got to stop excusing guys not holding themselves accountable and being too lazy to regulate their emotions. Ignoring the “no” of a girl that has been raped for years, his thoughts in those moments, his overall behavior … I have no words for this.

The star rating of this book does not reflect the narrators. Ramona Masters did a wonderful job portraying the FMCs emotions. Michael Ferraiuolo did a good job overall, but didn’t quite match the character for me. (The story also didn’t play in his favor, considering how I felt about the MMC). I’d give the narration 4 ⭐️s overall.

I overall mostly enjoyed this read. I’m a sucker for dark romance and dragons so it sucked me right in. There were some issues that I couldn’t quite get past and the main one was the MMC. There will be some spoilers in my review so don’t read on if you don’t want to read those.

I don’t mind dubious consent or cnc but it really bugged me that after the FMC had been raped for 7 years straight the MMC thought it was okay to touch her in her sleep after he specifically said he would wait for her to say it was okay. That just gave me a gross feeling. And the MMC was pretty unlikable all around. He has t had many redeeming qualities but maybe that will change in book 2.

I did like the FMC! I just think she finally deserves some kindness from someone.

I thought the narrators did a great job bringing this story to life. I love when there is dual narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

This is my first experience with this author and I really enjoyed it. While beginning did drags a little for me. the ending was more than worth it. There is a lot of spice , pretty decent character development, and Dragons. What else do you need? The enemies to lovers is top notch between Calista and the Death King and I love Khazmuda. There is a cliffhanger so beware. Now to wait for the next book. And narrators did a good job too.

I listened to the ARC audio of this one . Definitely check all trigger warnings if you choose to read it . I loved the story line!! Plus Dragons are a bonus!! There is like 10 hot peppers of spice with this one. I found it cooks have done a bit less with that and put a bit more into the story line . With that said I can’t wait to read the rest of them!! Both narrators did a fantastic job

A captivating dark romantic fantasy filled with lots of spicy scenes (TW: sexual assault/rape)! The storyline hooked me, especially the morally grey characters. The MMC is undeniably evil, yet his motivations are compelling and complex, leaving me torn about my feelings for him. The FMC endures so much; I was frustrated by her struggles but I am eager to see her growth in the next book.

The narrators were great. I initially had some doubts about the MMC's voice; I anticipated a deeper, more gravelly tone, but it ultimately worked well. Both narrators were excellent in their pacing and tone, keeping the story engaging throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Penelope Barsetti for the audiobook! I’m looking forward to book two!

This book was kind of “icky” to me. The male main character was pretty awful. He just chased after the female character relentlessly after she’d just been raped every day for 7 years…. How can anyone be ok after that? There were also NO trigger warnings regarding SA content.

Review: "The Death King" by Penelope Barsetti — 3.5 stars

The Death King, the first entry in Penelope Barsetti’s Death series, is an ambitious fantasy novel that blends elements of dark fantasy, romance, and erotica. While the book has plenty of compelling aspects, particularly its captivating setup and final act, it falters in the middle, where the balance between plot and sexual tension skews too heavily toward the latter, leaving me craving a more gradual, slow-burn development.

The Death King ♦ Penelope Barsetti
A Review

Opinion
The opening of the story sets a strong foundation. Barsetti introduces me to the Death King, a fearsome conqueror with the ability to raise the dead and command a mighty black dragon, Khazmuda. Our protagonist, a young woman whose life has been shattered by the Death King’s conquest of her kingdom, is a sympathetic and complex character. The world-building is rich and detailed, and the early tension between the two main characters feels appropriately intense and intriguing. This part of the book delivers important insights into the protagonists’ backgrounds, giving me the necessary depth to invest in their stories.

However, after the first third of the book, things begin to unravel. As the narrative shifts from the conflict and power dynamics to a romantic-erotic focus, the pacing suffers. The relationship between the female protagonist and the Death King moves too quickly into the realm of physical attraction, given her traumatic past. For a character who has spent a decade as a slave, subjected to harsh treatment and suffering under General Titan’s obsessive control, her sudden immersion into a sexual dynamic with the Death King feels abrupt and jarring. The transition from hatred and fear to lust happens too fast to feel natural, and the intensity of their interactions overshadows the plot. A slow burn romance, one that builds over the course of the entire book and the next installments, would have provided a more organic evolution of their relationship.

The explicit scenes, while well-written for those seeking a more erotic twist, feel out of place given the tone of the story’s beginning. They detract from the character’s journey, especially considering her history of trauma, which is barely addressed during these moments. It’s as though the story loses its footing, becoming too eager to delve into sexual tension without giving the characters—and by extension, me—the emotional space needed to make that tension feel earned or believable.

Thankfully, the last third of the book brings the story back on track. The re-emergence of plot, action, and intrigue helped me to re-engage. The stakes are raised, and the pacing picks up as Barsetti reintroduces the larger narrative of the Death King’s mysterious cause and the protagonist’s involvement in it. The political and magical complexities hinted at in the beginning resurface, offering a glimpse into the wider world and the unfolding conflict. This strong finish salvages much of the earlier missteps and builds anticipation for the next installment in the series.

Conclusion

As my first audiobook ARC, The Death King was a mixed but overall enjoyable experience. While the middle portion left me frustrated, the intriguing world-building and character dynamics in the opening and closing acts kept me interested. I’m hopeful that the second volume will deliver more of a slow-burn romance and plot development that this one promised but struggled to maintain. Fans of dark fantasy with a taste for the erotic may find much to enjoy here, but those looking for a more nuanced political and romantic progression might find it uneven.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Death King by Penelope Barsetti is a fantasy romance set in an intriguing world with royalty, dragons, and borderline-r*pist necromancers. From the prologue, I was immediately hooked into this world. I mean, who can resist the story of a princess whose kingdom was just taken over by a dragon-riding man, and was just orphaned?

I thought the world seemed super interesting, and loved all the little elements like the Arid Sands and the mystical place that Talon calls home. I didn’t like the constant use of the word “f*ck” in terms of obvious s*xual assault, especially when it was also used later in the book to refer to having s*xual intercourse.

Calista was pretty annoying. The typical tragic backstory, insufferably talented, and of course BEAUTIFUL female main character that most fantasy books seem to have. I didn’t like how Talon praised her for never complaining–seeing as that’s a basic human thing to do? Just seemed pretty icky to me

There is for sure an audience for this kind of novel, but unfortunately, I am not a member of it. The plot was devoured by the rampant spice scenes. Way too many scenes. Now into these “spicy scenes”.... The male main character prided himself on being different than the general who had taken advantage of Calista for years, and yet I found myself viewing him in the same way I viewed the general.

Talon was constantly begging to use Calista, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He nonconsensually touched her while she was asleep, and it was basically shoved under the rug because she “liked” it. Yikes.

Overall, I liked the premise. It ended on a cliffhanger, and I really did enjoy the plot and the scenes that did not involve nakedness. I think that this series can go somewhere and I loved the element of the dragons. Khazmuda was so cute and I loved him so much. Overall 3/5 stars. Interesting plot, interesting premise, cute dragons, and some nonconsensual spice if you’re into that.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for providing me with an audiobook ARC of this book:)

HOLY S***, this book was incredible, and I am already dying for more! *The Death King* is hands down my favorite from Penelope Barsetti, and that's saying something as a longtime fan. From the opening line—"I was fifteen when the Death King came for us"—I was completely hooked. The story is a thrilling mix of high fantasy, dark romance, and unforgettable characters that stayed with me long after I finished.

The world Barsetti has created is both brutal and beautiful, and the Death King is the perfect mix of terrifying and mesmerizing. With his black dragon, Khazmuda, and the ability to command the dead, he is a force to be reckoned with—and yet, there's so much more to him. The chemistry between the Death King and the heroine is electric, and every interaction is filled with tension and desire. Her journey from being a conquered princess, a slave in the Arid Sands, to discovering her rare gift of communicating with dragons is nothing short of epic.

Michael Ferraiuolo and Ramona Master absolutely killed it in the narration. Their performances brought this already compelling story to life in a way that exceeded all my expectations. Ferraiuolo's portrayal of the Death King was everything—dark, commanding, yet nuanced, while Master captured the heroine's strength and vulnerability perfectly.

The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat, and the ending left me desperate for the next book. If you're a fan of dark, immersive fantasy with a slow-burn, high-stakes romance, this is a must-read (or in my case, a must-listen!). 5 stars all the way!

DNF at 40%

The Death King was a book I was super happy I got early access to, however I do think that the blurb needs to include warnings, because if I had known that it contained sexual assault and the “romance” was based on non-con, then I would have never requested it. Just in case, I re-read the blurb both in Goodreads and Netgalley to check if I had carelessly missed something, but no, the only warning we got is this: <i>This book contains dark themes with subject matter that may be difficult for some readers.</i> I understand not wanting to give spoilers away, but “dark themes” can mean anything and not that the basis of the relationship between the main characters is non-consensual sexual interactions.
But that was not all there was to it.

Calista was the princess of a tranquil Kingdom until the Death King conquered the land in a matter of days, uniting the scattered kingdoms under his sole rule and enacting cruelty upon the population.

Running away from everything she ever knew, three years later, when Calista was eighteen, she was enslaved to work in the sand mines, sifting sand for years in the hope of finding a “black diamond”, a rock that nobody knows what the Death King wants it for, but whoever finds one, earns their freedom.

Now at twenty-five, Calista has spent the last year under the torment of the newest general, a man who literally <i>rap3s</i> her every day, mornings and nights, with her days free to work in the sand mines (if she is not in too much pain from the kicks and punches she receives for not being grateful to the general). Yes, it’s lovely and there is no warning whatsoever that those scenes are coming. When she learns that the Death King is coming she devices a plan: she’ll escape the general’s cabin and take the King’s dragon to fly far away. When she meets the dragon, she learns that not only can she talk to it, but her gift is something coveted by the King himself and he offers her a choice: return to the castle with him, or stay in the sand at the mercy of her rap1st. Seeing little choice, Calista decides to fly back with him and try to escape later but, of course, things won’t be so easy for her either.

I had an issue with the writing right away, and that was that it felt over the top, almost as if it tried too hard. Every time Calista saw the King or the King saw her, we would get repetitive and exaggerated descriptions, as if it was trying to convince us of what to feel and think.
The King’s eyes were “dark like the deepest river, cold like the mightiest glacier”. Her friend’s penetrating gaze was “like daggers and, right now, the points were sharp”, etc (it was an audiobook so don’t quote me on this). The insistence and repetition of these kinds of descriptions made it seem almost silly, and it made no sense because the characters could see things that weren’t at their disposal. Like, the guy dismounts his dragon and she can see that “his eyes are black, like the scales of the beast behind him, cold and unforgiving” girl, you were like 200 feet apart, how the heck could you see the colour of his eyes? This happened constantly: characters were facing the other way, or a great distance apart, yet they could always see their expression and knew precisely what it meant. My impression was that the author was trying so hard to convey what was happening, to give us information, that they dismissed logic.

Now, although beginning the book with sexual assault was a surprise for me, I knew based on the blurb that she would soon leave to be with the King, so I kept listening because I wanted to see what would happen next: how could a romance develop between an ex-princess and the monster who had enslaved her people (herself included), taken her home and installed such a cruel regime?
Well, I do not know. I stopped at the first molestation.
You see, the girl is terrified. Sure, she is away from the general, but the King also wants to sleep with her and she, of course, doesn’t want to. We get a few scenes of her trying to escape and also chatting up with Casmuda (the dragon) who tells her that yes, Talon is a tyrant and a monster but “there is more to him than that” and that’s why they are friends.

The thing is, this book is dual POV, so we see things both from Calista’s and Talon’s perspective and… oh boy, is that man a <i> treat </i>. We don’t exactly know his motives, except that he wants revenge on something and he made a deal with a powerful being to accomplish that. He has no concern nor regard for anything or anyone other than himself and his dragon, as he often complains “why should I care about the suffering and pain of others when nobody cared about mine?”. He has several “whores” (his words) who he uses for their bodies but nothing else, he actually hates and despises them, with his favourite girl being the one who never refuses him anything and lets him do whatever he wants, but he finds her care and devotion disgusting.

With Calista, he finds her attractive and likes that they have the same skill, but he doesn’t care about her either. The guy has no empathy and when he learns of what his general has been doing all he thinks is “look at what she has done to my best general, turning a great man into an obsessed lover, simping for her beauty” like, what?

He has a conversation with Casmuda, where he reveals how he is frustrated because Calista doesn’t want him but <i>he</i> wants her. The dragon reasonably questions why would he pursue her, if she doesn’t want him? If it were him, and another dragon didn’t want him, he would simply stop. Oh no, but Casmuda is a different species and he can’t understand that he KNOWS that Calista wants him, but is somehow refusing herself to him for… reasons. When the dragon suggest that, if the problem is that Calista feels unsafe, he should make her feel safe, what does he do?

He goes into his room, watches her sleep, lifts her dress and gives her a handjob while she is asleep. When she wakes up, absolutely horrified and terrified, he simply shrugs, says that she enjoyed it and so he is not sorry, even getting mad that she is reacting that way.
WHAT THE ABSOLUTE F-

No, this was the moment that I decided to drop the story, because there is simply no going back and there is no way that I would like to see a romance develop here. The guy was simply disgusting, an Andrew Tate acolyte and had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Calista has been enslaved for 10 years by the Death King. Every since he took over her fathers land. For the last year she's been enslaved to dig for black stones and the rule is if you find out you get set free the only problem is the general has taken her for his personal slave and SA her every night. She will never get out. Then she hatches the plan to steal his dragon and fly off. The only problem is she can talk to the dragon which is a very rare gift. He doesn't remembers her and because of his dragon he agrees to take her with him and teaches her how to work her gift and how to fight. He wants her and she hates him. They are both attracted to each other and both have past trauma and hold back from each other. She slowly starts to trust him but he won't let her in and once he gets with her he starts treating her different but also still won't leave her alone.

I have a love hate relationship with Talon I feel like if he was just honest with her things might be different. Calista is strong and has been through so much. But she gave into him to fast and she just take what he gives and I hate that. Shes a no bullshit kind of girl. She needs to be stronger with him.

I Couldn't put it down and I knew it was going to end on a cliff hanger but because of where we ended I can't wait to see what book 2 has in store for us.

Thank You NetGalley for this Audio-Arc in exchange for my honest review.

Oh dear. I had hopes for this book. The description and cover showed promise. First chapter was beautifully written and I was ready to fall into the story. Then the consistent rape happened. Then the rescue. Then the consistent rate happened again. Wtf. Kill the mmc and just have the fmc take the dragon and fly on her own adventure. This was difficult for me to finish.

⭐️2/5
🌶4/5
🩷1/5
🎧3/5

OVERALL RATING = 2/5

This is one of my most mixed reviews, so please stick around to see how I feel by listing pros & cons.

🎧 I'm going to start by reviewing the audiobook and narrators. The audio was done well and edited seamlessly. The female narrator was good at convening differing emotions but also sounded like she was ready to cry almost the entire book. I also felt like the FMC was bored and lack-lustre, but I believe it is because of the story and not the actual narrator's fault. The male narrator was good, but some of the emotive choices he gave to the FMC made her feel meak. Otherwise, he wasn't that bad.



🌶 The spice was spicing, and there was LOTS of it. So much so that the plot got dropped for half the book - sigh. If you love a spicy book, this is for you. If you want a book WITH spice, this is not for you (for example, this book vs. Fourth Wing).

🩷 Romance... what romance? This is not romantic. This is a dark erotic fantasy, not a fantasy romance. This story includes straight-up rape of the FMC from the MMC and other characters. I believe it was meant to come across as a 'heal her through sex', but this method fell flat immediately after the MMC raped the FMC while she slept. And before you call me 'sheltered', let me just say that I read and edit all the trigger books, including taboo and erotic horror. This romance seemed problematic and almost encourages the reader to treat this behaviour as romantic, sweet, and loving - it is NOT.

📚 The plot surrounding the spice was not bad. I quite liked the start, the premise and was intrigued. But again, the plot also started to die off, getting lost to the toxic sex-capade, and even got 'fuzzy' from around 60%... lacking direction. The FMC was meant to be strong and formidable, but she was meak, weak, and pathetic with no insight and severe suicidal motivations. Then the MMC was meant to be 'not like other guys' and wanted to show her how he can respect her and tenderly care for her, but then proceeds to guilt, manipulate, gaslight, coerce, bully and stalk the FMC, including taking her against her will in her sleep and refuse to apologise... Like, she just got out of 1 year of being chained, tortured and raped, then tried to kill herself several times (even begged the MMC to kill her), then he forces her into a sexual relationship with him within minutes of taking her... and she apparently is ok with it within a day or 2. Like, wtf?! Um, no.

Overall, this was not for me. I'm genuinely surprised it has such high reviews. I am a very generous reviewer and find most stories (even B-grade ones) to still be exciting and interesting.

I very much was hooked at the beginning of the book as I like dark books. However once the MMC was introduced and the interaction with the FMC began I was like no homie. I disliked the instant attraction even if it was one sided. Also considering what she went through I didn't really like what the MMC was doing to FMC. For me it felt like it was not advertised as dark romance if this is what the author was going for. Which is a shame because I really enjoyed the plot before all that smut started to happen.
Last note: no hate to the male narrator but if it is supposed to be dark romance then find someone who has a deeper voice. Everyrime the pov changed I needed a moment to get used to the voice.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The plot was intriguing and makes you want to carry on the series. There is a central romance to the book that is enemies to lovers and has you swinging back and forth about whether you want them to be lovers or not. For me that was really fun to read. There is some world building but not too much so I didn’t find the book heavy. Overall a really enjoyable read!

There are some parts of the sorry that are a tough so check the trigger warnings if you think you may be impacted. The difficult parts do add to the depth of the story and really endear you to the characters and their backstories.

I liked this story but the audiobook was lacking for me. I didn’t care for the dragon noises, it made it feel in-genuine. I feel like it would have been better without that. I will be interested to see what happens in the next book but I won’t be listening to the audiobook version.

The Death King was a pleasant surprise for me. Dark romances and fantasy are genres that I have a hard time with and I found myself very invested in this story.

When Calista was fifteen The Death King named Talon came to her town on a dragon and killed everyone. Her father was one of the casualties. Her life is spared and she is sent to a mine to live out the rest of her life.

The general in charge of the mine was a piece of trash. This is where the trigger warnings for this book will begin because he was raping Calista for years. Calista finds a black diamond which should win her freedom but he won’t let her go. Talon comes riding in on his dragon and when Calista tries to escape she learns she has the gift to communicate with dragons.

I did not care for Talon most of the time but he did have his moments while he was with Calista. I had to keep reminding myself what he was capable of because it felt like Calista was often forgetting he was responsible for her entire town burning.

Imitation is the best form of flattery is what I kept telling myself here because so much in this book was similar to other books in the genre. What hooked me was the last few chapters and the ending. For most of this book I didn’t think I would continue the series, but then the way this ended I knew I would be back for book two.

The Death King (Death Series #1) Penelope Barsetti
Pub Date Sep 24, 2024 Dreamscape Media

General Fiction (Adult) | Dark Romance | Sci Fi & Fantasy

The Death King by Penelope Barsetti is a dark fantasy romance, for those who enjoy spice, action, and morally gray characters. The FMC (Callista) and MMC (Talon) have a passionate drive for revenge but have a forbidden attraction to each other, which is frustrating and confusing for both. The lines start to blur between the captor and the captive as they both try to understand their feelings and try to keep their wants and needs separated as they both want retribution against the people who destroyed their family and kingdom.

What is in this book?

A King who can raise the dead and use them in his army
DRAGONS
Morally gray characters
A war between good and evil
Rare Dragon/human bonds
Enemies to Lovers
He falls first but is in denial
Spice

The time hop from when Calista is young and skips to "today" was pretty significant and there could have been more information added in there before, especially in regards to the new King. Although Talon's part was meant to be a bit of a mystery that is brought to light later on in the book. The main plot is a bit overshadowed by King Talon's maddening desire for the Calista and being a cocky attractive King who has women throwing themselves at him cannot understand why she denies him. Although Calista is indeed extremely attracted to him, she tries to avoid her want for the man who ruined her life. Both characters want revenge for the fall of their kingdoms and he tries to convince her to work with him to help take back what was taken from him, his family, and the dragons who have been enslaved. Little does he know what he took from her. This book is the set up for the story to follow in this series with a cliffhanger that leaves the main characters in chaos.

Fast-paced and an easy read, I flew through this book in a few hours. I will be reading the next book to see how these two characters get on as they both have an agenda to accomplish, and I am curious how their relationship will change throughout the books.

Trigger Warning: Contains dark themes including rape and suicide.

I was given this audiobook from Netgalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook ARC.

This was a duel POV with duel Narrators.

This story follows Calista and Talon in this new dark fantasy series.

10 years ago Princess Calista life is changed in one night when it is told her the Death King , a necromancer with a Dragon, comes to destroy in Kingdom. Resulting in the death of her father the King and her running for her life. After becoming a slave in the desert and owned by the mad general, Calista has known nothing but cruelty and regular torture.

The Death King unexpectedly visits the desert and in her desperation, she tries to use his dragon to escape, she learns she can speak to this dragon Khazmuda. Impressed by her sheer nerve and bravery, also this very rare ability to talk to dragons , The Death King decides to take her back to his Kingdom.

Both of them have secrets but slowly Enemies turn into Lovers and the Detah King, Talon, starts to show Calista more to live and pleasure.

This did end on a cliffhanger and was a lot of world building since it is the first book in a series. I am intrigued to see where this story goes and the growth of both characters plus more dragons!

I did not like the mmc. I got to like 45% in. I didn't want to do a review but I felt like I needed to add that I did not like that the mmc was told several times to stop and he still proceeded to pursue her. It did not sit well with me. The fantasy aspect and dragons I loved. But not the MMC