Review: The Wraith King by Juliette Cross
Light, dark, and the similarities between them.
I struggled with this review. And what I think it boils down to is that I just didn’t like this book very much. But I really wanted to. I was excited about this book coming out — I really enjoyed Juliette Cross’s Stay a Spell series, and I’ve read a few other dark romances that I was into, so I thought this book would be right up my alley. But I was wrong. I just didn’t enjoy The Wraith King.
To be fair, I didn’t dislike the book because it was badly written or poorly executed … it just didn’t really do it for me. I would like to point out that I didn’t DNF (Did Not Finish) it — I did read the whole book. It’s just hard for me to put a finger on exactly what it was that made me feel just meh about it.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes: enemies to lovers, fated/destined mates, pregnancy
Initial thoughts at finish: My initial thought was that I didn’t like it…because of the darkness. But I didn’t dislike it. And I was compelled to read it all. So I don’t think the fact that it was a dark romance was really an issue. This storyline just didn’t get me going.
Favorite quote:
It was the first time I’d seen or heard her laugh, and I didn’t simply hear it. I felt it tremble through me, warming my blood further. Bewitching and beguiling.
Main story: Una (FMC), the Princess of Issos, is kidnapped by the evil Wraith King in an attempt to end the war and force the surrender of the Issosians, but Goll, MMC and the son of the king, is determined to overthrow the Wraith King.
When Goll learns that Una is the key to a prophecy, he demands that she leave her life in Issos behind and submit to him. But what he finds is that she is much more than just the key to his destiny.
Time it took to be hooked: I was invested in the rest of the story after the Prologue.
Favorite part of the book: Sigh. I really feel like I’m doing this book a disservice, but I just cannot think of any part of the book that really stands out as a favorite.
What the story meant to me: There was an underlying thread throughout this story of how the dark fae and light fae were not really as different from each other as they’d grown to believe. This is clearly a direct commentary on how even though we may have different skin colors, traditions, and histories, we as humans from different ethnic groups are not really as different from one another as we may think. Sure, the things that are unique to us also make us different, but there are also many ways in which we are all the same. And because of that, we have many more reasons to trust and love each other than to hate each other.
Final thoughts: I’m not going to lie, by the time it was time to write this review, I had kind of forgotten that I’d even read this book. It just wasn’t very memorable. In the end, just because The Wraith King wasn’t my cup of tea, doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it. If you’re into fantasy romance, a little morally gray MMC, some light violence, and some spice, then this just might be the read for you.