King of Battle and Blood

Don't really know where to start with this one... Being my first foray into the fantasy genre (vampires, witches etc..) I didn't have any expectations, and went into it with an open mind. I'd seen a couple of reviews, and could tell people either loved it or hated it.

Here's what I liked:
- plot may be quite cheesy and cliche at points, but this was actually quite easy to read. I enjoyed Adrian's character more than I thought, but this was probably because I really struggled to like Isolde.
- being my intro to the fantasy genre, the fact that the lore and mythology wasn't delved into too deeply didn't actually bother me too much. I think if it would've been to heavy/detailed, it might have been a struggle to get through
- spice level could have been explored in much further detail (didn't really understand what was happening half the time, what position, how quickly they just started getting together, why it was so random etc.), but again, not having high expectations helped, and I guess it was enough to read through

What I didn't like so much:
- Isolde is an unlikeable heroine. It's clear to see she was raised as a queen, and feels entitled to it, but there comes a point where treating everyone else like shit just because you don't like the way they look or what they said, isn't worthy of respect, it's just plain unlikeable. You can command respect and act like a feminine BOSS without having to react so harshly, and for no reason.
- reincarnation is not my thing. first experience with this trope, and I have to say, it's not for me. Maybe because it was so predictable from early on, with Adrian and Isolde's mysterious connection, I saw it coming a mile away, and it just didn't have the desired effect.

All in all, wasn't the best story, but definitely not the worst thing I've ever read. I will be reading the second book, moreso because of curiousity and the fact that the ending was so abrupt! Will have to see if the story actually progresses in the second book