King of the Unblessed

Realm Immortal, Book 1

De: Michelle M. Pillow

Narrado por: Ross Pendleton

Immortality has a way of changing fate...

The choice is simple: Go with him or die.

Merrick, dark elfin King of Valdis, had once been heir to all that was good - happiness and pleasure his domain. Now, trapped as the ruler of mischief, king of necessary evil, he stands on a precipice of choice. On one side, his estranged brother, now ruler of what should have been Merrick's, and on the other, King Lucien of the Damned. Both would sway him. Damnation is winning.

Lady Juliana of Bellemare is from a human family, protected by the Blessed, coveted by the Damned. Betrothed to an old friend of her father's, Juliana is resigned to living out her days close to her childhood home, longing for an adventure, never dreaming she'd get what she wished for. When her fiancé is murdered and the children of Bellemare are stolen, Juliana is sent on a quest in a strange realm where appearances are deceiving.

Merrick brings more adventure and passion than any woman could want. Can she withstand the temptations of the Unblessed king? The spell she weaves over him is more than he can resist and, desperate to be the one to rule her, Merrick offers her a choice; either come with him until he tires of her...or die.

Warning: This book contains hot sex, violence, trickster goblins, overly helpful sprights, a king of necessary evil who lives to get his way and a woman who would dare to deny him.

©2006 Michelle M. Pillow (P)2013 Michelle M. Pillow

Where the wild things are

This was the most enchanting story. I loved how it was like an adult faery story. I could just picture the goblins and other creatures as they were described. They were so funny. They reminded me of the ones in the children’s book Where The Wild Things Are. The king of the Unblessed was so hot. He was so misunderstood. This is a tale of good verses evil and how true love overcomes all in the end. I hope we get a tell of Juliana’s brothers in the future.

If you like audiobooks, this narrator really brings the characters to life. He does the creatures’ voices so well. And gives Merrick a deep sexy voice.

Quite a Wish

In the first of three books in this series, the author’s incredible imagination creates a world full of contradictions, good and evil, mortal and immortal, fantasy and reality. Juliana lives in the human Medieval era. She is about to be married off to a man of her brother’s choice. She wishes for adventure. Merrick, King of the Unblessed, the realm between good and evil, hears her wish. His is quite taken with her and decides to grant her wish. Juliana’s adventure is not what she expects. She is tossed into a journey to a world with all sorts of fantastic creatures, goblins, trolls, sprites, faeries, and even demons. At the end of her journey, she finds Merrick. Then things get really interesting. There are several subplots that include the kings of the other two immortal realms, Juliana’s brothers (setting up for other stories), betrayal and the threat of war. This is a well-written complex story. The characters have depth and are just as complex. There are relationships, and what in the immortal realms are romances, quite steamy ones. This is an interesting beginning to the series. The narration by Ross Pendleton is quite good.

Great story

What made the experience of listening to King of the Unblessed the most enjoyable?

So must was put into the story. It was in depth, interesting, full of twists and action-packed. The story pulled you in and really had me ticked off at some characters and in love with others lol. truly a good story.

Wonderful first time experience

I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version of King of the Unblessed. I read the book awhile ago and listening to it added to my overall experience. Since this was my first audio book, I did not know what to expect from the narrator, Ross Pendleton. Pendleton, however, did an excellent job of bringing each character to life. The different accents and voices, from human to elves to goblins, draws the listener in in a way that a novel does not do. I felt Merrick was especially well done. I definitely would listen to King of the Unblessed again. I received an audible copy of King of the Unblessed from the author in return for an honest review.

Fun and entertaining

What did you love best about King of the Unblessed?

The whimsy of the fairy tale people. Elves, trolls, dragons, sprights, berserkers, goblins...So many wonderfully developed characters. It was as if a beloved childhood fairytale had been reshaped into an adult fantasy.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Merrick, I related to to him the most. He is not a flowery, flattering King who is able to express his emotions verbally well. He is sincere, and honorable in all he does. He did all he could to show Julianna that he loved her, and made a few mistakes along the way. He is, after all, not only a man but a King. What man doesn't make mistakes when trying to court a woman? They think like men not women. For King Merrick not only does he have to conquer his maleness to show her he loves her but he has to overcome being the King of the Unblessed.

Which character – as performed by Ross Pendleton – was your favorite?

All of the goblins, trolls, and sprights! First of all they were brilliant characters. Second, Ross Pendleton has an exceptional grasp on how a fairytale character should sound. His voice was pleasant and he articulated words well. I was blown away with how he could remember which accent, tone, and even how each creature breathed. Outstanding!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Juliana had a habit of asking for things, but as soon as it was granted denying that it was what she wanted. She was spoiled at home in Bellemare by her family. So when she was suddenly thrust on her adventure she wasn't used to doing things that took very much work. Then she would whine like a small child who had just been told no for the first time. When things got rough she would say she didn't mean what she asked for. It was very frustrating for me that she couldn't see what Merrick was doing for her. When Juliana...I don't want to spoil it. So I will just say, when Juliana decided to stop letting her human eyes see and saw with her heart.

Any additional comments?

I look forward to the other books in this series. I especially look forward to seeing how Merrick and Juliana do now that she has emotionally matured a bit.