The Leopard King

By: Ann Aguirre

Narrated by: Wilhelmina Grace

Proud. Imperious. Impassioned. Until three years ago, those words applied to Dominic Asher, the leader of Ash Valley. His family has ruled the feline branch of the Animari for hundreds of years, guiding the pride through perilous times. Unspeakable loss drove him into seclusion, a feral beast nobody can tame. Now he's wrecked, a leopard king in exile, and he wants nothing more than to die.

Fierce. Loyal. Determined. Fortunately for Dom, those words still apply to Pru Bristow, his dead mate's best friend. She's had her heart broken, too, but she never quits. With the conclave approaching, alliances with the Pine Ridge pack and Burnt Amber clans on the verge of collapse, she's prepared to do whatever it takes to drag their leader back, before his second can start a war.

At best theirs seems like a desperate alliance, but when their mate bond turns hot and fierce, there's no end to the questions and the doubts. Neither of them expects to fall in love. But sometimes people don't know what they're looking for until they find it.

©2016 Ann Aguirre (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

This is great.

A good story a good with great as t characters and plenty of unfinished stories th as t lead to folloup books thanks

3.5 stars

This was an unexpected story that I ended up really enjoying. A story about two people dealing with loss and grief and growing pains always grips me so I wasn’t mad at this one for delivering in that way. But I was kinda bummed at some of the pacing, I wanted more angst and I wanted more yearning. The fact that these guys grew to care was amazing but I didn’t want it to happen to quick and I feel like we didn’t get to see as much growth between them as I wanted. Though they were both good people and good leaders and ultimately I do wanna continue on in the series.

Awesome

Great start for this series. Highly recommend this story. I laughed and cried . Excitement, adventure, firey , and sweet. I can't wait to listen to the next one.

good story

the narration is good but her male voice are rough. the story is well written, a few holes where the story seemed to jump around but overall I'm pleased

Rushed but interesting

I felt the story was rushed along. I did enjoy the story a lot. There is some heat and very sexy parts, but this is more story than heat. The narration is not great. It is good though. The voice didn’t aggravate me like squeaky narration in other books. The overall experience isn’t out of this world. It is just plain old good. So ..... I give a three Right in the middle.

The natural bonds formed through the years

It was something I was not expecting. I have been tired of wasting time on shifter PRN that are continuously repetitive. This one however, focuses on bonds through friendships and alliances. Although the coworker who recommended it was more into the “romance” part. Really not what I expected. And it seems to be the same though for the books read from this author. Every single one thus far, has been beyond my expectations. As for the narration, it is beyond words. Between author and narrator I’m sucked into the story. Hard to focus on work or anything. It made me want to not stop.

Great story, complex characters!

I stumbled on this and was pleasantly surprised! The book is a really good combination of geopolitics and romance in a unique world, and is quite different from other shifter books I've read.

Pru and Dom's characters both had depth and it was wonderful to see the character development and growth throughout the book. The author tackles the coming together of two broken hearts really well and doesn't brush over the baggage that they both bring. Unlike other books in this genre, it's also really refreshing how conflict between Pru and Dom is handled in a mature way and through honest conversations. I also really liked how competent Pru was as a leader and how her intelligence, perceptiveness and bravery were demonstrated.

The wider story about the Animari is interesting and the world building is ok, though I still have some questions. I think if you're going to combine modern tech with other aspects that we naturally associate with old fiefdoms eg the city walls, it needs to be properly described so readers can wrap their minds around it (think of the city of Asgard in Thor with the old kingdom vibe vs the high tech of the Bifrost Bridge that connected the realms). I'm optimistic that some things will be clearer as the series progresses.

Ash Valley could have also been described in a bit more detail, I struggled a little to visualise the bigger picture of the city i.e how all the buildings were connected, where the park and admin centre and ops unit were located in respect to other places etc and that detracts a little from the overall experience (for me).

It's the first in the series so there are lots of other complex and interesting characters introduced. I'm thoroughly invested in the story and can't wait to read the rest!

So many feelings

I wasn't not sure if my heart would break or burst. This story is so well written. I read AA's alien series and loved it so thought I would try another. This is just as complex and well written. The Pru is mature and selfless. It was very satisfying to see her get her happy ending and how her devotion could bring Dom back to life.

ok story

It was an ok story. I feel like the romance was super rushed. I do like Dom & Prue; I like their relationship, but I'm not super attached to them. Not invested enough to continue the series.

unexpected

An author I didn't know with another story about a lovelorn girl & a powerful but obtuse man. I didn't expect much except something to listen to as I washed dishes & cleaned.
Boy was I wrong. This was an excellent story about people caught up in the kind of events that become history, people with complicated emotions and piles of insecurities. A complex plot of political machinations just sweetened the deal.
I read this book straight thru - and no, the dishes didn't get done & the kitchen didn't get cleaned.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story & the characters. I highly recommend this book. Now, excuse me while I go download the next book.