| Title | : | Wicked Games (Queen of the Damned, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 244 |
| Publication | : | First published April 11, 2018 |
But what if I don’t want to rule?
With the imp in hiding, and Josh gone from this world, I still wasn’t safe. Not by a long shot. Dear ol’ Dad didn’t just pass on his legacy and mark. He also passed on all of Hell’s problems, and that means his enemies, are now mine.
Fortunately for me, I have the Four Horsemen, my banshee best friend, and a pissed off raccoon on my side.
But now I have the beast to contend with. My psychotic, possessive, and downright scary alter-ego was dead set on having the Horsemen, not only at my back, but in my bed. As if learning to control the flames of Hell wasn’t a hard enough job by itself.
Would it have been too hard for Lucifer to write a handbook before he died?
Wicked Games (Queen of the Damned, #2) Reviews
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[Nov 2018 edit]
To my great shame, I forgot the plot from the previous book, so I struggled a little with this one. Thankfully, there were enough clues to fully remember.
Ok, so the second book picks up with Ruby, Moira, and the guys: Rysten, Allistair, Julian, and Laran, better know as The Four Horsemen (Pestilence, Famine, Death, and War).
Ruby keeps fighting her inner beast, while Moira & co. do their best to be overprotective. And I'm not very fond of that. All of Ruby's potential for a great kick-ass lady is lost most of the time, as other people interfere (although I love what she did to the mob and Kendall).
Our girl ends up branding two people, and there's a nice twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Although I'm not sure how this all reverse-harem works in here. The guys are jealous on each other, and Moira is right in the middle of most arguments. Not much harmony for the group, nor enough spotlight for Ruby.
I'm not sure yet about the third book. I'll be considering it.
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This one gets released on my birthday month. ^_^
I need this so much!
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This one...
Ok. So the plotline is interesting and I like the female MCs - that's what keeps me going.
The men? They are almost interchangeable and I can't remember who is who most of the time.
The sex? It is NON-EXISTENT. There has been (so far) a total of maybe 3-4 heavy petting sessions across TWO BOOKS. That, my dears, does not a Reverse Harem make.
Wait.
I take that back.
There was 1 session of cunnilingus that I originally counted as part of "heavy petting."
I'm not really sure what to call this series, TBH. It's NOT erotica. It's NOT erotic romance (those require actual sex...and there has been none). I don't know if its really Romance because there's been no romancing. It's has all the elements of a Romance without the romance. It's more of a...hybrid genre, I guess. Urban-Fantasy-Not-Quite-Erotic-Romance.
Either way, I'll still read book 3. Eventually. -
This was a great sequel, for a reverse harem it's actually quite slow which is fine cause the relationships are building beautifully.
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I thought I'd be able to read this series especially after enjoying the Dark Maji series, turns out I can't. It honestly seems as though nothing is happening even though they are. The pacing is odd, Ruby doesn't do anything except have inner monologues with her beast. Moira literally takes pages by just shouting and being a third wheel or the sixth wheel in this case. The guys in the harem are bleh, there is no one I can say I like.
I'm going to try another of her series and see how that goes. I just can't reconcile that the author whose book I love doesn't have more books I can enjoy. -
Despite remembering basically nothing from the first book I really enjoyed this. You get a bit of a recap on the events that happened a few days before this book starts, at least the major points so I could figure it out. The Horsemen's jealousy and competitiveness got annoying fast. I mean, she's clearly not picking any over the others she's going to end up with all of them so I'm not sure why the rivalry is necessary. But the ending is left wide open and I'm looking forward to see what happens in book 3.
On a side note: I bumped it up an entire star solely for the Archer quote on tinnitus. *MAWP*
[image error] -
There isn't much happening in this book. It speeds up towards the end, but the first part was just boring. There's no character development, no relationship development.
I don't really like series with "filler" books.
And I can't stand her BFF. She's all over the pages, demanding and shouting and over-reacting. The way I see it there's no hope for the Heroine and the Heroes to ever form a bond and become intimate with her in the picture. Heroine doesn't have any privacy left. I get that she's the protective friend and only family of the Heroine, but please. She's just too much. Nearly didn't finish the book because of her, and that is seriously not cool. -
In some ways this felt rushed but the apocalypse waits for no one, even the future Queen Of Hell. Ruby tries her damndest to ignore the four hotties turning up everywhere she goes. Not only does she deny being Lucifer’s daughter, she’s certainly no ruler of a place like hell…. but I’m starting to think she can be…. I hope. While resisting the men, her powers still remained mostly blocked and eventually she’ll need to release her darker side and whatever epic magic she’ll gain. We do get to see some of the demon in her and she’s pretty scary but so protective and territorial. Love that Bandit her pet raccoon is such a big part of the story too.
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This felt like a build up to the next book, we didn't get too much substantial plot development, or character growth. The first 50% was a little frustrating, Ruby seems to be going backwards trying to keep everything "normal" when clearly she couldn't. It did pick up toward the end and I liked when her "beast" made an appearance.
The Horsemen were great, little more of them would have been nice. Again it just felt like this was all "filler" waiting on the next instalment, and boy am I waiting on the next instalment!
I'm predicting big things for Bandit, i'm getting vibes that he's not all he seems.
Good read I'm enjoying this RH series, there is a lot of Horsemen running about in the RH world right now but these ones are good.
Overall happy but wanting so much more in book 3! -
This book did NOT disappoint. It was even better than the first. I found myself laughing and smiling. There’s a little bit of everything. From mystery to romance ;). I love every single character. Starting with her best friend and let’s not forget she has a freaking raccoon as a pet. I couldn’t find one fault. Loved it!
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Review at book 3
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Title: Wicked Games
Author: Kel Carpenter
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Format: Ebook - ARC
Pages: 188
Rating: 5
Heat: 5
Thoughts: Oh damn that was so freaking good, and over way too quickly!! And there’s something odd about the trash panda, I’m not sure what yet, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t act like a normal raccoon. (Can I have book 3 now?) Seriously, this series is so good. And in this one we got little snippets of the guys POVs which was awesome! (Can I have book 3 now?). There’s really no way to just pick one of the horsemen, each is perfect in different ways. Good thing having a harem of book boyfriends is legal because these four are definitely worth having as book boyfriends! (Seriously, can I have book 3 now?). I think the best part was Ruby’s revenge, that had me laughing so freaking hard, like this needs to be a tv series or something just so I can see that (sorry, no spoilers. I know, I’m evil lol). I so can’t wait to read the next book (I’m sure you haven’t figured that out yet).
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work and chose to write a review. -
Spunky N Sassy Rating: 5.0
~~~~~~~~~~Julie's ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review~~~~~~~~~~
This book continues with Ruby and her four guardians being put to the rest. She is so close to transitioning. Rysten, Laran, Allistar and Julian keep their eyes pealed so she can stay alive. The twist and turn storyline will keep you on the edge of your seat. I love the fact that we get a closer look into the individual guys and their relationship with Ruby. This is not a book to miss. Excellent writing -
Review to come.
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Mon avis en Français
My English review
I’m not really a fan of reverse harem, but as I had a good time with the first volume despite a few small dots, I was curious to get into this sequel and find out what the author had in store for Ruby and her friends.
Now that Lucifer’s mark has appeared on Ruby, she has to deal with the consequences. She now has enemies she didn’t have before, and a beast inside her that she struggle to deal with. She hasn’t gone through her transition yet, but it won’t be long now. Things go from bad to worse when Kendall decides to make our heroine’s life a living hell, convinced that Ruby killed Josh. And she’s willing to do anything to prove it to everyone!
Of course, the four horsemen continue to fight for the young woman’s attention, but that’s also why the novel is a reverse harem. I must admit that the four men are quite intriguing.
It was a rather nice sequel. I will be curious to read the sequel. -
This ranged from 2 stars to 4 at different points, so I've settled on 3.
I still like lots about this. It's nice to see a strong female friendship. The let Racoon is awesome. The Four Horseman are pretty good, although their over bearing nature it wearing a bit thin. The premise is good, too.
However, this book has no real plot apart from Ruby coming to terms with her situation, which got old really quickly. Yes, it's such is, but woman up and get on with it. I have little tolerance for characters making stupid ass decisions, which she seemed to do a lot.
But, this does seem to be going somewhere good (I hope) so I'll keep reading. -
This was another quick listen, but it was better written than the first book in the series. This didn't feel as disjointed as the first one, and we got a lot more character and identity for the boys here. Helps to add a few extra pages!
I did have one problem, however. The first book had a lot to say about rape that I approved of, then I got really disappointed when some actions in this book totally reneged on that. I keep thinking that Ruby got raped in the scene where she marked her first mate. She didn't have a chance to give her consent at all!
Which is why I'm giving this a 2 star rating. Originally, it was a 3 star rating - just the middle of the tree, like book 1 - but it doesn't feel right to reward that message, or at least not let it go by unnoticed. -
once again such a fun time !!! i stayed up until 10am to read this bc i was just enjoying the experience so much. even though this series deals with some dark topics i feel like the overall vibe of the books is really nice and not too stressful thankfully!! i loved getting to know the love interests better and seeing Ruby evolve + the story progress was really fun!! i’m overall just having a really good time hehe
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Hot damn! Now this is a sizzling book right here, what more could you ask for you got the heir the Hell's thrown, 4 gorgeous horseman. It has something for everyone's type. But it's not just about the men, you've got a great story and I am so proud of how Ruby takes her revenge in this one. Never be sorry for who you are embrace it to the fullest.
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KU
I enjoyed this better than the first novel. The pace seemed a bit faster and the dynamics more defined. The plot certainly thickens with some nice elements that put a wry smile on your face, together with a couple of well placed surprises. -
A wickedly vicious read!
She's Lucifer's Daughter...
The next ruler of Hell...
Will she accept?
And will she find the imp and destroy him?
Before it's too late...
What a ride! I thoroughly enjoyed this book - so wonderfully written and descriptive.
The MC is such a bada** gal - I absolutely admire and respect the hell out of her. She is such an incredible character - so loyal and, now, unapologetic. I may or may not have a crush on her! And the guys - oh holy hell! Things definitely get steamy and interesting in this book.
We get to see the friendship between the MC and her bestie and how far back it extends - how loyal they are to each other and how much they care for one another. Really great seeing that!
Full of demons, demon hunters, horsemen, succubus, banshee, action, adventure, loyalty, trust and attraction.
Perfect for readers of paranormal reverse harem romances/urban fantasy. -
There was more sexual tension but no sex! Argh!!!!!! I did like learning a bit more about the horsemen tho.
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This next entry kept the action going, but I'm getting annoyed with how slow the slow-burn is. I NEED ALL THE SEXY ACTION! 😆 Off we go into book 3, hoping for way more hook-ups.
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I liked book 1 better.
3.5 stars*
TBH I thought more would happen during this book. Then again, I read half of it in between naps while I was in an eight hour car ride back from a weekend full of eating too many carbs and dancing at bars for 5 hours. So I might have been a little distracted.
MOVING ON.
I NEED MORE. MORE MORE MORE. Specifically Julian + Ruby, sitting by a tree... F-U-C-. Nevermind, you get the picture.
I just feel so bad for him. Open up, Julian, for heaven's sake your name reminds me of a suave latino man in the Caribbean, not the fucking black eyeliner wearing, listening to "Wake Me Up When September Ends" emotional dude you've been acting like because the girl you love branded your brother first.
So this book, cycloped-imp is the main problem, and then at the end we transition to a different problem. I see now that there's already a 4th book in the works so I'm hella excited for some of this to speed the hell up. I want to get to the really exciting shit.
It IS a good series. Bandit now likes Laran and I am just gushing. I really do want a pet racoon.
Laran, let's talk about how he's the only one marked. And yet... and yet.. *cue the hysterics* they've barely done anything either.
I know, I sound like a starving, deprived succubus. I am not, Ruby is.
I love how she dealt with Kendall, the whole time I'm thinking: she's gonna tattoo "karma" or "josh" or a giant penis on her forehead. AND THEN I'm thrown for a loop and realize Ruby is much more mature than I am.
Onto book 3 -
I was pretty freaking bored while reading this one. Like I'm so into the storyline. Super interested in it. But there isn't enough happening. I found myself skimming a few paragraphs and pages. I just didn't care enough because I was so bored. I really don't even care enough to write a proper review...
There was a few moments that made my jaw drop and I literally said out loud "oh shit". But like other than those moments I just... meh... Maybe I'm bored because there is a serious lack of smut? I mean there more in this book than in the first. But I'm still like meh.
And Ruby acts like a child throughout the majority of this book. I seriously just wanted to smack her and say put your big girl panties on and handle fucking business. Like stop wallowing in your self pity and grow tf up.
Yep, that's how mad this book made me... Lmfao. On to the next I suppose. -
I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
4. 5 stars
I really enjoyed the first book so I was happy when I got the opportunity to review this one early. hs first book was good and catchy but this was even better if I may say. Or at least I enjoyed it more. Wicked games is a slow burn reverse harem story, and I will be honest I prefer my RH with a less of a slow burn aspect and more of a steamy edge. However this book has such a fast pace and unique balance to it with a couple of quite spicy moment here and there that I didn’t mind development of the romance one bit. I absolutely loved this book.
I think we can all agree that the author has a pretty smooth and kind of lilting writing style which is a treat to read and really engaging.
The plot of this book concentrated more on Ruby personality and her struggles than whole daughter of Lucifer demon threat as in the previous book. I personally liked Ruby snarky and laid back character in the first book as well but in this one her character development is something phenomenal. She starts out a bit closed off and her starting policy is avoiding her problems and the horsemen. She pissed me off a bit there but she needed to fight of her human upbringing and start to act as a demon, for this she needed some time to think about it. However, I loved how she became when she accepted her heritage. I see great things coming from her.
As for the horseman, it was strange because while they still had their own chapters their presence wasn’t as strong as in the first book. They left some space for Ruby to process thing, well except maybe Laran who was pushy as heck all the way along. We still get to know more about them but not as intertwined with Ruby story as before.
I didn’t like Moira in the first book because she was so overly possessive about Ruby, okay she was still like that in here as well but we also get to see the reasons behind her actions.
Wicked games was a phenomenal and perfectly enjoyable read. For me it felt a bit strange how every character kinda avoided explaining more than absolutely necessary about the whole situation even if it could clear quite a few things up but I guess the author just doesn’t want to spoil anything before the right time. I’m really looking forward to the next book because the ending was just enticing enough to keep the suspense up. -
4.5 Stars
***This and other reviews can be found at
www.imasweetandsassybookwhore.com ***
*ARC*
Well things just keep getting interesting and like the previous book, I devoured Wicked Games because I needed to know wat was going to happen with Ruby and her horsemen. Ruby is still coming to term with who she is. She has the horsemen and her best friend by her side but will that be enough to protect her and keep her, well her other side in check?
I will say something, at first when I started Wicked Games, Moira really had me angry for a while and I wondered if there was something more to her feelings towards Ruby. Especially with how she always is nasty to the horsemen, but later in the book you learn something and it makes you understand their relationship a bit more, and once again I ended up liking her.
Ruby’s transition is near and that means she has to not only be protected at all times, other needs will need to be taken care of as well. I love all the guys, each balance Ruby in a different way and I am loving that we are getting their relationship with her both individually and as a group. I have a feeling that things are not only going to get hot in hell, ha sorry couldn’t help myself, but hot between her and her horsemen and I can’t wait to read about it.
I am really excited about the next book because I want to see what is going to happen next with all the characters. I am already hooked into this series, I told a close friend after a read the first book that this is one I thought was going to get really good, and I was right because I am already wishing the next book was here. If you are a paranormal fan, make sure you check this one out. -
Amount of sex 2 / 5
How explicit 3.5 / 5
Story 5 / 5
Overall: 4 / 5
Wicked Games plays with fire in this twisty second part of the first book Lucifer's Daughter. Ruby is awesome as is Moira (the Banshee) and Bandit (the Racoon). The Horsemen are hot.
The second book gives a little more backstory on the characters. You find out how Moira and Ruby became friends and the deepness of their bond. You learn just a little more about the Horsemen's powers and a little bit of some of their backstory. The story revolves around Ruby's self-discovery along with the ramifications of others finding out she is Lucifer's daughter and the Heir of Hell.
I love the concept and the writing of this book. I love the characters and humor sprinkled in just the right places. My only challenge is the lack of spicy action between Ruby and her horsemen. I felt the first book gave us a great tease, but I was expecting waaaaay more action for a second book with the subtitle of a reverse harem. While there is some action, it is very brief. I admit that I went back and forth with my rating because of this lack of action. My hesitation is not in the quality of the book but the title. I feel the title is misleading. As a blogger of spicy books, even if a book isn't spicy, it can get a 5 from me because the book kept me engaged. However, a book that says in its title it is spicy (which is what reverse harem says to me), then I expect some delivery on that spoken promise. I kept my rating at a 4.5 because I really enjoyed the book and the story (note the story rating of a 5). If the title didn't include the reverse harem, I wouldn't have waffled between a 4 and 4.5 rating.
This book must be read after the first book- Lucifer's Daughter and ends with a cliffhanger. -
Wicked Games is an action packed slow burn romance that lives within our world. I will say, read the first one before reading this one. Ruby is awesome. She's a badass chick and grows more into her powers and beast this book. I really liked how Ruby didn't fight too much with the beast inside her, it will soon become a huge part of her so I liked that they got along with few arguments. Everything comes to a head this book. We learn more about Ruby, we also learn more about the Horsemen and Moira. At first I was telling at Ruby to get it on with her Horsemen. Now I'm loving the slow burn of romance and getting to know each guy. They are so different from each other. Rysten and Laran are my favorites. I enjoyed getting a snippet from all four's life though.
I'm excited to see where Ruby ends up with the next book. I'm also curious about her transition. She's made some new allies, possibly, and we've met new villains. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm impatiently waiting to find out what happens next. Especially after the few reveals at the end of the story!! -
Kel Carpenter’s Wicked Games is a wonderful second novel for her yummy reverse harem series Queen of the Damned. Both this book and the series on the whole so far are easily worth five stars. Wicked Games had just what I wanted, was well written, with a great plot full of magic and adventure. I have quite simply come to adore both Ruby and her boys, Laran, Justin, Allistair, and Rysten. Really the whole concept of her being Lucifer’s daughter with her “four Horsemen” protectors (and ... more) is a great one. And don’t forget the supporting characters (hello Moira, I love you and Bandit the let raccoon simply can’t be ignored). They were simply superb, whether good or evil. What more I could one ask for?
Unfortunately, I’m in a hospital and asked my husband to post this since I don’t have the time or ability right now to do better - even though the book definitely deserves it.
Highly recommended, with the caveat that while you could read this standalone you’re much better starting off from book 1.
