When I tell you that I absolutely squealed the moment I got this book in my hands, there are no lies. I fought the urge to devour this book in one sitting and lost, as I have with all of Kerri Maniscalco’s books. So far, we’ve had the absolute pleasure to read the stories of Wrath and Envy, and now we come to House Gluttony, where indulgence is the vice of choice. This tantalising tale centres around a prince who is racing against the clock and a vexingly attractive reporter to save both his house and the kingdom. Each time I think there’s no way that Maniscalco can make me love another Prince of Sin more, she blows through my defenses and now I have a new favourite. The story is incredible, the characters are so wickedly devilish that I have no doubt that people are going to race to get a copy of this for their own shelves. I’m telling you now, you’re going to want this book for your shelves if you’re a spicy romance lover.
The Prince of Sin books are all standalone, but there might be tidbits from the previous books that could be considered spoilers, so that’s your warning before we get into it. The infamous rake-ish prince of House Gluttony, Gabriel Axton, lives for indulgence. Food and women are a given, but the thrill of the hunt is what feeds his sin most of all. When his latest hunt has some devastating consequences, he realises someone or something is targeting his court. He needs answers, and he will have to turn to the one woman hell-bent on destroying her reputation.
I started this book a bit disappointed that I wasn’t getting to read about Sloth, but I quickly ate my words once I started Throne of Secrets. Gluttony managed to surpass both of the princes we’ve previously read (if you’ve kept up with the series). We get to explore a new aspect of the world, and we get to explore the sin of Gluttony as well. Overindulgence is an interesting sin, which generally is applied to food. However, in this case it can also be applied to sex as well as the thrill of the hunt. Like the previous sins before him, Gluttony, is hiding his true self under a mask. While he’s as powerful as his brothers, there is also a disarming honesty to him that I wasn’t expecting. Each prince has displayed the care of their people in different ways. However, with Gluttony, it was a bit more touching than in previous books. Can you tell I fell pretty hard for him? It’s what makes his rivalry with Adriana all the more vexing and hilarious.
If I could have picked a book to whisk myself into, I would have loved to have been able to play the part of Adriana Saint Lucent. She’s quick witted and wants to be the one to have the last word, but ends up finding herself constantly pitted against Gluttony. The obsessive loathing that she has is bordering on something else, but so fun to watch Adriana and Gabriel duke it out in each chapter. Without a doubt, these two characters are stoking several sins through their interactions, but at the centre of it all is a mystery that Adriana is desperate to untangle…and Gluttony has to stay one step ahead of her. Secrets are the name of the game, and both of them are hiding quite a bit in their closets.
Without going into too much detail, this book explores kink a bit more, namely BDSM and dominant versus submissive kinks. I do think it’s done in a way that is respectful and with consent, but that is my opinion. I enjoyed seeing a new dynamic within this book, and it definitely spiced things up further than the previous books have been. Maybe I’m just a fan of masked strangers meeting up to fulfil their filthiest fantasies without worry though.
The scenario that the genius princes of sin come up with to keep Adriana away from finding the truth is fairly comical and reminiscent of The Bachelor if it was taking place in a fantasy world. Although we did take a turn in an odd direction, I promise, it’s very much worth the shenanigans that happen later. The romance that brews between Gabriel and Adriana from loathing to love is one I thoroughly rooted for, in particular because of the reason the two became rivals in the first place. I was absolutely flabbergasted at the reveal, and I don’t think I picked my jaw up from the floor until the end. Naturally, Maniscalco also teased a couple of princes who might be coming next, and I cannot wait to find out who it will be. I’m still holding a candle for Sloth, but I’m wondering if she’ll be saving him for last.
Throne of Secrets is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 29th 2024.
Will you be picking Throne of Secrets? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Two rivals torn apart by a dark memory reunite on a deadly hunt—and in an irresistibly twisted fairy tale—in the next steamy standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco.
A wicked prince determined to save his kingdom.
Gabriel Axton—infamous as the Prince of Gluttony, the self-proclaimed rake of rakes—has always lived for indulgence: in delicious food, in tantalizing women, and most of all, in the thrill of the hunt, where his love of danger can take over. But when his favorite adventure takes a deadly turn, he realizes something is very wrong in his demon court. With the clock ticking, he must turn to the only one who might uncover the truth: a journalist he has spent a decade avoiding…
A reporter hell-bent on finding the truth.
Adriana Saint Lucent has been on the hunt for years—if she could just report something damning enough about that no-good scoundrel Gabriel Axton, she knows others would finally see the demon as she does. But she never expected to turn up a rumor too terrifying to be believed: could the ice dragons to the north be growing restless? Drawn into the secrets of the Underworld, Adriana’s investigation leads her into the place she dreads most…Axton’s infamous court.
A dangerous rivalry—and deliciously twisted fairy tale.
To stop darkness from falling over their kingdom, Axton and Adriana will have to unite against an escalating danger. But with each holding tight to their own secrets, can they find the truth before it’s too late? And what will they do with an equally troubling rumor: that they might not actually hate one another, after all?
