SPOILER ALERT! I'm not in the business of ruining books, so if you haven't read this book yet, turn back now!
Author: Kathryn Moon
Series: Tempting Monsters Series book #3
Category: Paranormal Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
"I was starving. A fathomless hunger that dug a pit deeper than my frail form could hold. But I was free." - Evanthia
Like everyone else who read the first two books and previous novellas in the series, I've been waiting for the conclusion of the Tempting Monsters series and crossing my fingers for the ultimate demise of Birsha.
One of Hedone's daughters, Evanthia feeds on pleasure, mostly of the sexual type. It is this weakness that she has been held captive for centuries, used by Birsha to power himself and his houses and to satisfy his monstrous clients. Kept barely alive, she endured countless abuse and became a shell of her former self before the house she was held in fell and she ran away at the end of the second book.
"'I've lived too long to make plans when I know how well they can be destroyed in a moment, or how much can change in a matter or minutes, or how long a life might live beating against stagnancy'" - Evanthia
This book is much darker than any of those that came before it, and the main character Evanthia is clearly traumatized and slow to heal. She was very rational, despite being slow to trust. The beginning of the book is slow, while Evanthia works to accept her past and become herself once more. She constantly questions her ability to love and doesn't want to hurt any of the men in her life. I loved seeing her finally embrace her own strength and transform into a fighter instead of hiding behind others.
"I'd been a whore, a courtesan, a seductress, and a lover so many times in my life, in so many variations, but I was at a loss now. Had I forgotten how to invite passion during my time in Birsha's cage, too used to being a tool or a toy to be broken?" - Evanthia
Asterion was my favorite character for the first third of the book, but quickly pissed me off. While his never-ending patience was so needed for Evanthia in the beginning, he was unwilling to recognize her ability to choose what she wanted and in fact, needed to live. He struggled the most with the multiple partner aspect of Evanthia's eventual partners, but finally got over himself and realized that he was never less than any of her other lovers. Despite being so strong and solid, Asterion was the most insecure which played out as being distant for a majority of the book.
"No man, no god, no mother had come to my rescue. This monster had." - Evanthia
Conall was the life of the party, and the youngest monster certainly livened up a lot of scenes. We got the most details of his backstory and he was a much-needed addition to the harem. Though he came with his own issues as well, he reminded Evanthia how to laugh and have fun, something she desperately needed.
Though very different characters, Hywel and Lazone were interchangeable to me. Long-time mates in their own right, they decided almost instantly that they wanted Evanthia and never strayed in their quest to have her. Their plan of loving her to death until she agrees to be theirs was so sweet and even when she had a hard time accepting affection they continued to shower her with it until she finally surrendered. The Kings of Clouds and Dreams set a high bar that no one in the harem could best, personally, I would have settled in at their castle and never left.
"'We might be monsters with impulses and instincts, but we are also men falling in love with you, dear one. Your wants and wishes are the most imperative of all.'" - Laszol
Most of the main characters from the first two books made an appearance in the third, coming together to fight against Birsha. It was a little hard to remember all the different monsters, their abilities, and which woman they belonged to, there were simply too many names to remember.
This book certainly had more adventure in it than the first two. There is the journey to a castle, a quest for Excalibur, and the ultimate battle.
I appreciated that the three main female characters of the three books were the ones to face their tormentor head-on, and while some of the men didn't agree with it, they were given the option to be fighters. I would like to have seen more of the battle, it was relatively quick and not as satisfying as I would have hoped. After everything Birsha had done, I wouldn't have been opposed to some light torture.
"But Birsha didn't speak, just stared at me. He was stripped of illusions, lured out of safety by a young human woman, trapped by the eager obedience of trees, facing down his once captive prize." - Evanthia
And as for the sex...I'm not sure spicy is even the right heat level to describe it. There was pretty much every position and multiple couplings in every combination. Hell, we even had sex with a dragon tongue. Seriously though, even with the main character needing pleasure to sustain her, there was still much more plot than sex especially in the first 100 pages. So expect smut but with a healthy dose of emotional recovery and adventure.
Overall, Sanctuary with Kings was a great conclusion to the Tempting Monsters series. I suspect that there is at least one more novella book coming from this world which I will happily read and review (who bought Grace Manor?!?) but we may not get any more full-length books for this series.
Tropes and Themes: Why Choose, Reverse Harem, Shifter, Vampire, Dragon, Monster Romance, Paranormal.
Blurb
Evanthia has spent half her life trapped inside the Seven Veils. When the house crumbles, she seizes her moment and runs from Birsha and his twisted pleasures. But pleasure is what she needs to survive, and the dark streets of London leave her starving and vulnerable.
Rescued by a mysterious monster who vows her sanctuary, Evanthia must piece back the woman that Birsha tore apart. Quiet sanctuary is no cure for her endless hunger, but the war brewing on the horizon is the last place she wants to be. Hiding with sleeping dragons and lonely monsters in a castle made from dreams might be a fantasy, but it’s not enough to keep the nightmares at bay.
When not even Evanthia’s tired heart can remain dormant in the tender care of the kings who keep her safe, she must make the decision. Hide from her past forever, or face the man she fears most on the battlefield.
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