Book: The Cursed Horde King (Hordes of the Elthika) by Zoey Draven
Reviewed by Suzy Wickedly Good Reads
Rating: 6/5
I absolutely LOVE Zoey Draven's books. I've read every one of her series, so saying I have been impatiently waiting for Cursed Horde King to finally hit audio would be an understatement. It was SO worth the wait. First, we need to talk about this audiobook. Aaron Shedlock and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker lead an incredible full cast, and calling them simply "narrators" almost feels wrong. These are voice actors. They PERFORM. This isn't one narrator reading a character's POV chapter and changing their voice whenever someone else speaks. The characters have their own voices throughout the performance. It brings an entirely different dimension to the story and makes these characters we've imagined in our heads feel alive. And having Aaron Shedlock in my head for hours? Yes. Thank you. I'll take more. 😂
As for the story...
Amaia is a gifted healer, particularly when it comes to pyrokis in Dothik. She's only weeks away from taking over her mentor's coveted position (something she's worked incredibly hard to earn) when her brother asks her to take his place in the Heartstone Accords. It's essentially a diplomatic mission into rival territory. Except Amaia has another assignment: spy for the throne. In Grym, she'll work in the dragon hatchery while hiding a dangerous secret of her own. Amaia possesses heartstone magic, an ability that's criminalized in her homeland. Anyone who discovers they possess the gift is expected to immediately turn themselves in. Keeping that secret becomes considerably more difficult when she's working near Alaryk, the King of Grym. Alaryk isn't simply one of the most feared kings. He possesses extraordinarily powerful heartstone magic himself and is nearly impossible to deceive. And his dragon is dying. Amaia believes she can help save him, but working closely with Alaryk and his dragon brings her much closer to the king than either of them anticipated. And OH, did I love the journey. The drama. The passion. The dragons. The battles. The world-building. The possessive alpha energy. And THE SPICE. 🔥(Let's just say our Horde King comes equipped with some...additional hardware. Multiple pieces of hardware, ladies. 👀😂)
Zoey Draven's writing checks every box for me. She's easily one of my top favorite authors and firmly in automatic-buy territory. Ebook? Bought. Audiobook? Bought. Physical edition? Hand it over. Although this is Book Two of the Hordes of Elthika, Amaia and Alaryk's romance is complete, so you absolutely could start here without being lost. The previous couple is mentioned, but their story isn't required to understand this one. BUT... Would I recommend starting with Horde King of Shadow anyway? YES. If watching Khal Drogo ride up to Daenerys had your attention and hearing that intimidating warrior eventually call her his "moon of my life" turned you into a puddle- You need Zoey Draven's Horde Kings. All of them. That fierce, dangerous, possessive warrior combined with absolute devotion to his mate is precisely the kind of energy that makes these books irresistible to me. No cheating. A complete romance. And that delicious "Who touched you?" alpha energy where discovering someone hurt his mate is basically a death sentence. MELTING. PUDDLE. FLOOR.
And if you're an audiobook reader? GET. THIS. AUDIOBOOK. The full-cast performance is phenomenal. This isn't simply someone reading a great book aloud. It's an experience. Absolute ear gold. 🎧🐉🔥
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Actually...can I give the audio six?)