Reviewed: December 7th 2021
Released: November 25th, 2020
Genre: MM Dark Fantasy
Book two of the Prince’s Assassin series
“Know your place, Nikolas.”
“Under the heel of your boot, Your Highness?”
After a terrible inferno destroys the Caville palace, and with the people of Loreen turned against him, Prince Vasili is left with no choice but to flee his ancestral home, leaving his brother Amir to proclaim himself King. But Vasili’s life isn’t the only one left in ashes. King Amir has not forgotten Nikolas Yazdan—a lord’s bastard son and Vasili’s favorite pet. With forbidden power in his veins, Amir has become more than Niko can fight alone.
Thrust together with Vasili once more, Niko must travel south, to a land of pirates and thieves, of mystery and magic. A land of opportunity for a manipulative prince and his reluctant assassin. But just as Nikolas begins to believe Vasili might be worth fighting for—that Loreen can be saved with Vasili on the throne—the dark flame trapped in the royal bloodline unravels its ancient bonds. One prince must control the unrelenting power desperate for its escape. The other must die.
Niko thought he knew which prince he could trust, but he’s been fooled before and as Vasili’s true motives are revealed, Niko finds himself at the mercy of Prince Vasili once more. Only this time, there’s more than love at stake. The fate of the world rests on Niko discovering the truth about the flame, about the cursed Cavilles, and his place in their doomed destiny.
***Reign of Darkness is the second book in the Prince’s Assassin series. The series should be read in order, beginning with King of the Dark.
Helen’s thoughts: 5/5
If you haven’t read this fantasy series then you are missing out. The books are unputdownable and I’ve picked up the second straight away.
A wonderfully written dark fantasy and adventure which happens to have MM main characters. The action never stops and as we begin to further understand Nikolas and Prince Vasili you can’t help but grow to love them both.
Nikolas is a wonderful character, defiant, loyal, brave. Struggling to understand the deeply complex and damaged prince who’s vulnerable moments show just who he should have been if he hadn’t befell the horror that is his life.
Nash describes them so well, and builds up the tension and the heat only to dash it away again in some beautifully vulnerable moments for both characters.
This is a a wonderful fantasy adventure, a beautifully developed world, plenty of action that will keep you turning the pages and a love-hate romance between two lovingly developed and flawed characters that can only twist and turn as the misunderstandings and the obstacles continue to be thrown at them.
A truly brilliant series and I am so glad to see Nash has a back catalogue because I will be reading more of her books!
About the author:
Born to wolves, Rainbow Award Winner Ariana Nash only ventures from the Cornish moors when the moon is fat and the night alive with myths and legends. She captures those myths in glass jars and returning home, weaves them into stories filled with forbidden desires, fantasy realms, and wicked delights.
Her debut novel Silk & Steel topped the LGBT Amazon charts in 2019. Read the short story prequel “Sealed with a Kiss” for free by signing up to her newsletter here.
Purchase Book One: King of Darkness
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
Book Two: Reign of Darkness
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my books which are available in eBook or paperback: Book One: Sentinals Awaken. Book Two: Sentinals Rising. Book Three: Sentinals Justice. Book 3.5: Sentinals Recovery. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Helen Garraway 