THE DARK KING

A fae king falls for a human in Maxwell’s dark paranormal romance series starter.

Wisconsinite Bryn Meara feels like she’s won the lottery when she gets a letter with a promotional offer for a free stay in Nightfall, one of the hottest hotels in Las Vegas. In the hotel’s lobby, she’s instantly attracted to its sexy, elusive owner, Caiden Verran: “My God, his eyes…I’m completely entranced, unable to move or breathe.” As a supernatural fae who’s king of the secret Night Court of Faerie, he doesn’t really have time for romantic affairs, and certainly not with a human who knows nothing about how his world works. Nonetheless, he follows her into the casino, then to the bar for a drink. The next thing they know, they wake up married, wedding rings and all, with no memory of the event. In normal circumstances, a quick annulment would be easy enough, but this marriage is anything but normal; it turns out that Bryn is magically bound to him. Night Court royalty are cursed to never be parted from their mates—at least, not without considerable pain and eventual death. If the situation weren’t tough enough already, Caiden feels inexorably drawn to Bryn, even though he knows he should stay away, for both their sakes. In this first of Maxwell’s Deviant Kings books, the author delivers a story with lots of fae tricks and plenty of steamy scenes. The connection between Caiden and Bryn is palpable—expressed from both their perspectives, in alternating chapters—and not just because they need each other to survive. Their banter provides welcome levity to the story, and gives their relationship a genuine, relatable quality. There are several glimpses into the wider fae world, but this novel might have been enhanced by more detailed worldbuilding; as it stands, the story feels rather insular. A planned sequel may offer more information about the world of the Dark Fae; however, this one can easily be read as a standalone.

A simmering supernatural love story with sharp dialogue.