Title: King of Swords
Author: Amy Kaivalainen
Series: The Tarot Kings #1
Pages: 272
Well this book blew my mind and I couldn’t put it down! This takes place in a future Venice where magic has taken over technology and there are shifters and other magical beings who control the city. Stella is a famous tarot card painter who is hiding the fact that she is an unregistered magic user. On Carnevale night, Stella has a sexy one night stand with the shifter prince Domenico of the House of Swords before she disappears back to her normal night. Fast forward to eight months later, which is where this story starts, and these two run back into each other while Stella is investigating missing people.
“You drive me crazy”…”I know, but at least you can’t complain about being bored.”
Stella and Dom were my favorite thing about this book! Stella was a wonderful heroine. She was smart, sassy, and dangerous when she needed to be. She was a successful tarot painter and heir to her fathers company. From the very beginning, and while fighting her extreme attraction to Dom, she does what she wants and doesn’t let an alpha male shifter keep her safe. I really loved Stella. She is the kind of heroine I want when I read PNR romances, especially in ones with unique and dangerous worlds like this one. Dom was a wonderful hero who I also instantly loved. He is an alpha male who is extremely protective of Stella, but he fights his instincts to keep her hidden and lets her work alongside him. This couple really sold this story for me and I really want more books with them now.
“I was sleepwalking before Carnevale. Meeting you was like waking up for the first time in years,”
The world building in this book was amazing. I loved this unique blend of magic, shifters, djinn, and how the tarot elements are embedded within it. I highly recommend reading the House glossary at the beginning of the book because it will be very helpful in understanding this world. Overall, this book was a wonderful, fast paced romance with a great couple and a fascinating world. I really can’t wait to see who the next couple will be and learn more about this world.
Previous books and reviews for the series:
Red-Haired Ash Reads 