Nectar of the Wicked: Deadly Divine Duology

This romantasy is dark, so it won't be everyone's cup of tea. Trigger warnings are in full force here, with abuse, violence, and assault. But let me tell you, I couldn't put it down! The twists and turns had me hooked, and the steamy scenes were off the charts. The faerie realm was so vivid and dangerous, I was captivated. Flea, the main character, starts off innocent but grows throughout the story. And Florian, the faerie king, is one complex antihero. Their chemistry and enemies-to-lovers dynamic were intense! Just a heads up, though, the book ends on a cliffhanger, and now I'm dying for the sequel. Ella Fields knows how to deliver an addictive and emotionally charged romantasy. If you're into dark, steamy reads, give this one a shot!

This beginning of this novel felt somewhat reminiscent of The Curse That Binds by Laura Thalassa, with a partner who teaches and guides our FMC while withholding the full truth from them. A seemingly happy and sweet relationship that quickly exposes the teeth hiding behind the smile.

The spice in this book was scorching, yet I enjoyed that it held weight in the plot and development between the characters. The slow-burn of lovers-to-enemies-to-? was well rewarded with emotional and enthusiastic intimacy, yet still danced on the edge of danger with blurred boundaries between them.

My biggest complaint would have to be the pacing, with the first half of the book feeling quite stagnant. Understandably so when the FMC is just learning about show more the world, but I would have liked to see more action. Even if it was just "Flea" pursuing curiosity about the fae, or even attempting to escape at some point. The ending did also feel quite abrupt, as if the scene was cut in the middle.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book and I will be following onto the sequel. I definitely recommend this book to other readers who love morally grey MMCs, fae fantasies, and high spice romances. show less

I can't wait to know what comes next. The hits just keep on coming! I enjoyed the plot and have decided to give this author another chance. Compared to the other books I've read, this one is surprisingly good.