Book Review

King’s Captive by Amber Bardan

King’s Captive is one epic, delicious mind fuck of a book. I started it after finishing another book at 11 p.m. and read it in one glorious sitting (Bad Decisions Book Club, y’all) and when I was done I needed a cigarette. And I don’t smoke.

So first of all, this book is total crazysauce but the best kind of crazysauce. I was totally invested in what was happening. I gave up many precious hours of sleep for this book, and I love sleep almost as much as I love chips.

The book is told primarily from the perspective of Sarah, the heroine, and opens up at her eighteenth birthday party. It’s apparent right away that this is not a normal party. Security is carrying around the kind of weaponry that suggests their biggest concern isn’t Aunt Cheryl getting drunk and shouting obscenities at everyone. Sarah also acknowledges that the party is more a social event for her father to conduct business rather than anything related to her actual birth or its celebration thereof. So immediately I think, mafia. This is a mafia book.

Maybe.

Then some guy named Julius King who is like Jason Statham times Jason Bourne and topped off with a little Xander Cage shows up and basically kills everyone and kidnaps Sarah.

I can hear you shouting, “All of this should be really upsetting, Elyse!”

I KNOW I KNOW! BEAR WITH ME!

So cut to three years later where Sarah is currently living on King’s private tropical island as his captive. She thinks King wants to marry her on her 21st birthday when she’ll come into her inheritance and therefore get all her dad’s money.

ALSO THIS SHOULD BE UPSETTING, I KNOW.

Except nothing is quite right about this book. Sarah is telling us all of this, but the actions of the other characters don’t quite add up. Everything is slightly eschew askew. You’re getting two layers of narrative–what Sarah says is happening and what you, the reader, observes happening. It’s tricky and it’s managed brilliantly.

King has never touched Sarah, never hurt her, never done anything without her consent. He’s actually very kind to her other than not letting her leave the island. He’s definitely not a good person, per se, but he doesn’t seem like a sociopath either. And there is so much sexual tension between the two of them that my Kindle screen should have been smoking.

Sarah wants King even though she know she shouldn’t. Stockholm Syndrome? Maybe. King definitely wants Sarah but will not touch her without her clear, verbal consent.

But again, nothing seems quite right–especially Sarah’s memories of her family. The further I got into the book the more I realized that Sarah was not a reliable narrator and things were not as they seemed.

I fucking love it when things are not as they seem.

It’s hard to discuss this book without revealing anything, and I really think that it needs to unravel organically to really get the delightful buzz I got from reading it. I will say this: part of the fantasy of the book is that it’s a captivity story. The Captive Heroine has been a staple of romance from way back when, and generally speaking, it’s problematic. King’s Captive turns that narrative on its head and allows readers to enter that fantasy without feeling icky or exploited on behalf of the heroine.

Also the sex scenes are hot as hell. Like wake your husband up in the middle of the night hot.

The way everything wraps up in the end is stretched my credulity a bit, but I was so invested in the wild ride up until that point, I didn’t really care. If you like darker romance or like me love a good psychological thriller, King’s Captive is so much your catnip. If you prefer your hero to be squeaky clean, then maybe steer clear.

 

This book is available from:
  • Available at Amazon
  • Order this book from apple books

  • Order this book from Barnes & Noble
  • Order this book from Kobo

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!

King’s Captive by Amber Bardan

View Book Info Page

Add Your Comment →

  1. Dorothea says:

    “Everything is slightly eschew”? I think you mean askew, though both are great words in their own way.

  2. Gigi says:

    Catnip galore! However, I need to know before I take the chance on a new to me author is there any group sex, menage or the like? I ask because lately it seems that erotic means the hero passing the heroine around like a hookah pipe.

  3. Elyse says:

    @Gigi nope, no group sex. The erotic content is really the heroine wanting the bad, powerful man who kidnaps her

  4. Molly says:

    YESSSSS. I AM VERY EXCITED TO READ THIS.

  5. DonnaMarie says:

    Sounds like fun. Got to have something to do during current bout of insomnia.

    CLICK!!

    Sorry, did you all hear that? Damned windows.

  6. Gigi says:

    @Elyse Thanks! Book budget be damned….click!!!

  7. Darlynne says:

    Three years? THREE YEARS? Is this how we guarantee virginity these days? I realize you can’t give anything away, but unless there was daily social contact with reliable, stable, supportive people, this is solitary confinement. I … will wait. Still enjoyed the review a lot, as usual.

  8. Olivia says:

    I want spoilers so bad.

  9. Todd says:

    Dear Elyse, I love your reviews and commentary … and the fact that none of your expletives are deleted (if you’re of a certain age, you’ll get the reference … you kids might not).

  10. Rosesred says:

    Bought it after your review, and am enjoying it. Had to skip to the major plot point though, the upsetting stuff was just too upsetting to read without forward knowledge. Now I love reading all of it.

  11. cayenne says:

    I’m about 3 chapters into this and already having real trouble not sneaking a look at the end – and I’m a “hate spoilers!!” girl. It’s freaking me out a bit.

  12. Stephanie says:

    Holy crap. Just. Holy. Crap. This was a good book. Crazy sauce with a PLOT!!!! The ULTIMATE trashy book for a smart bitch! Brilliantly written. Do Not Skip Ahead. It is so much fun the way it is. I totally agree with you Elyse, on the ending, but its true, you really don’t care. Suspension of disbelief is just….beyond easy with this book. Now I have a new author to read when I feel like a little red hot crazy.

  13. cayenne says:

    Just finished, and OMFG I was not expecting ANY of that. So good!

  14. Laura says:

    Yassssss!!!! One-clicked and devoured under the covers last night!!! Do.not.spoil.it!!

  15. Demi says:

    Grabby hands: activated!!!!! This looks like my jam.

  16. kitkat9000 says:

    This book was my jam. I originally got this from my library; there’s another book out titled “Didn’t I Warn You” but they don’t have it. I’ll be one-clicking after filling out the collection purchase request. Also, she has other books as well. Seems I may have another favorite author. Elyse, thank you so much for reviewing it.

    I second (third, fourth, whatever) the warnings about this book: DO NOT READ AHEAD AND SPOILER IT. Just trust in the journey, it’s totally worth it.

  17. Turophile says:

    Dang you. Can’t put it down . .

  18. ijinx says:

    I bought it after reading this review and was slightly underwhelmed, although I did like it. Not satisfying enough at the very end, and the overall “big big thing” is sort of transparent rather early, isn’t it?

  19. Bookbitesbk says:

    This was such a good read! I couldn’t put it down! Thanks for the recommendation.

  20. JennyME says:

    Reading this now and it’s slow AF. Worse, I can’t find any spoilers online so I have to keep going to get the big reveal! Ugh, reading is hard.

  21. Lolly says:

    This book awesome! Thanks for the great review!

    Has anyone read any other books by this author?

  22. Lolly says:

    This book was awesome- I really should proofread. *shakes head*

  23. Lena says:

    I usually shy away from books like this but since it was so highly recommended by this review I decided to give it a chance and I can back up 100% this review. It’s so amazingly well executed that you can’t stop reading]!

  24. Sarah Peach says:

    After it was featured in the Books on Sale earlier this week, I bought it, stayed up much too late last night reading it, finished it today and now I have a book hangover.

    I love a dark, high angst romance…does anyone have any further recommendations?

Add Your Comment

Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

↑ Back to Top