Circe Quinn goes to sleep at home and wakes up in a corral filled with women wearing sacrificial virgin attire – and she is one of them. She soon finds out that she’s not having a wild dream, she’s living a frightening nightmare where she’s been transported to a barren land populated by a primitive people and in short order, she’s installed very unwillingly on her white throne of horns as their … their Queen.
Dax Lahn is the king of Suh Tunak, The Horde of the nation of Korwahk and with one look at Circe, he knows she will be his bride and together they will start The Golden Dynasty of legend.
Circe and Lahn are separated by language, culture and the small fact she’s from a parallel universe and has no idea how she got there or how to get home. But facing challenge after challenge, Circe finds her footing as Queen of the brutal Korwahk Horde and wife to its King, then she makes friends then she finds herself falling in love with this primitive land, its people and especially their savage leader.
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I don’t know that I can adequately review this book. Golden Dynasty is my favorite book. Lahn is everything and I can’t describe the emotions I felt as I read.
I love all of KA’s books, but for some reason this one really sticks with me. It starts out rough…the heroine is thrust into an alternative dimension and is forced to participate in a ritual for a husband. She doesn’t want to be in the ritual, but she isn’t given a choice. She doesn’t know the language being spoken and she is forced to be a wife in every way. But the Hero isn’t as bad as he might seem at first. After the sunburn scene, he’s downright swoon worthy. The world that Kristen Ashley has built (not to mention all the words she made up) is impressive. It’s a long book, but by the end I was incredibly teary eyed. You can’t go wrong with a KA book, but I really enjoyed this one.
I enjoyed this book so much I actually read it twice in the same week! Since it’s the 2nd book in a series I do recommend reading them in order. Kristen Ashley just has a way of writing characters I can totally get into and actually want to visit again and again.
Fans of Game of Thrones will LOVE Lahn <3
What is it about this authors writing that can completely captivate you, no matter what the subject, and make you fall in love?
A primitive warrior King taking a queen….and I mean taking! The first few chapters were a hard pill to swallow…..
They speak different languages, they don’t know each other and she is from a different universe. I found myself learning the language!
Circe is awesome, one of the best female leads EVER! Their language barrier just made me lol.
Lahn is just so ‘yes’….it’s no secret I flip from man to man but I wanted to flip myself in this book and rub myself all over him!!
In answering today’s question “What book would you like to see made into a movie?”, it’s this one. Jason Momoa must be Lahn. I loved this story and I loved the entire series.
Well, when they’re right, they’re right! So many people told me I’d love this series, and that I’d love this book, and let me tell you, that is so very true!
It is visceral, it is emotional, it is violent, it is sweet, it is fantastical, and it is so much more.
It has has a sprinkling of everything and then gives you that little bit extra, and it is quite simply utterly delicious.
Is it difficult to read at times? Yes, but in the best possible way. You are in there with them. Feeling what they’re feeling, confused when they’re confused, happy when they’re happy; it is a thoroughly evocative read, and I was enthralled!
He is virile, he is all man, and as he learns how to be with her, it is SWOONWORTHY.
She is feisty and fierce, she is loving and kind, and as she learns how to be with him, it is enthralling!
Absolutely loved this book, cannot wait to reread it, and also very much looking forward to the next one in the series!
If you are looking for fantastical romantic mayhem, this story is for you! DELICIOUS.
My favorite book in this series, wonderful!!!
Loved this series. It is worth reading all of them.
Kristen Ashley is the only author whose books are recommended more than twice on my list. This was one of the first books I read by her and it set the bar stupid high for all books to come. Stupid high.
WOW! Incredible story. This one is worth the time and effort. It is not light and fluffy. It is not rainbows and butterflies. It has some very dark elements; rape, murder, execution, betrayal. It felt as if I were seeing the inside of life in an ancient warrior race. Think Viking, Mongol, Spartan or Mayan. You would see brutality. I wouldn’t want the author to rewrite this to eliminate that. This is their world, their culture. So if those things are too much for you don’t read this one. But, if you are willing to set aside our cultural bias as to what is right and wrong, just look and see if you aren’t blown away by an amazing book.
Lahn is King to a very brutal nation. He has been trained for it from birth. He is not Prince Charming! He is a warrior King. He is never told “no”, he is never denied what he wants, he is brutal and course, until he finds his spitfire queen.
Circe is a modern day woman from Seattle, with NO idea where she woke up or how she got there. She is chosen and claimed by the King in a most hideous manner. There is no escape, there is no going home. She must come to terms with her life as it is now. She grasps onto the knowledge that the past is what was and the future is what you make of it.
I loved seeing the changes in both the H/h. She softens him. He sees her as worth fighting for. They are both stubborn, passionate and determined to be good rulers of their people. Once they open themselves up to love the other, it is deep and strong. Their love is tested and they fail. Circe is wounded deeply but Lahn will not give up on wooing back his Tigress. And again it is tested and again they fail. Circe is so hurt, so damaged and so stubborn in her refusal to allow him back into her heart that it makes his soul bleed. Neither is “right” both are flawed, both make huge mistakes; but, both love one another with an uncommon depth. The ending is wonderfully done and satisfying.
Bravo Ms. Ashley! I’m looking forward to more of your writing talents.
Highly recommended author and series
4.5 stars
Let me preface this with the fact that while I loved this book, I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. The first book in this series has the distinction of being my favorite. Again, the author did a fantastic job creating a world that seemed so real that I wanted to add it to my bucket list and visit it. Strong Alpha characters and resilient women were another strong suit of this author and it showed in this book.
I still have some questions, like how two Circe’s can be in the same realm, that left me a little confused. However, it still did not deter me from liking this series. I loved the connection and effort that Lahn went to try and show how much he loved his Golden Warrier Goddess. I also appreciated that the author showed how different “culturally” Lahn and Circe were and that while some things might not be done in their world it didn’t necessarily mean that it was wrong. This took me quite a bit to get to that point of understanding. She explained it in a way, through conversations, how and why things were done a certain way and gave a different perspective showing that not everything was black or white.
I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series.
I love this series but this is my favorite book of all.
The world created by the author Kristen Ashley is well structured, the characters have substance and everything seems real.
From the exchange of places between the Circe even to the world where the tribe of Dax Lahn lives, as their culture.
I just do not give five stars because there are two situations that happen with heroin that make me very uncomfortable.
I recommend this book and this series 🙂
I’m sort of confused when it comes to this book. I really loved the story and characters, but at the same time I kind of don’t want to love it. I mean, the head character gets raped by the love interest and then she gets over it like it is nothing. It’s straight up weird and very unrealistic. Being raped is a very traumatic experience that effects the victim greatly. The aftermath is usually depression, the need to clean himself or herself often, and repulsion of touch. Where is that? She goes pretty much from I hate you to I love you and no aftermath whatsoever. So what, she travels to a new world and these symptoms doesn’t exist there? It’s just strange.
Dispite all that I found this story very unique and unoriginal which made it very exciting. There was all the elements I love in a book; romance, drama, fantasy and adventure. I love the strong personalities and the floating storyline and dialogues. I especially love the language barrier and that the author created a language and a strong unique world with an amazing world build. An excellent execution and story. Maybe next time not involve rape and it will be a 5 star story
Title: The Golden Dynasty (Fantasyland #2)
Author: Kristen Ashley
Publisher: Kristen Ashley
Edition: Paperback
Amount of Pages: 456
Genre: Fantasy, Adult, Romance
Date Read: 31-10-2018 – 01-11-2018
Favorite Quote: “I gave up a world for you.”
Review:
I don’t even know where to begin with this book. There are so many things wrong with it. For people with trigger warnings, there is rape and abuse in this book.
My bestie, Jessica, suffered through reading this book and thought “I know what to do,I’ll make Lisa read it so I won’t have to suffer alone.” So I went into reading this book knowing what happens but decided to keep an open mind. Well lets say Jessica had a great time watching me read this book. I had to put it down so often to wrap my mind around what was happening, couldn’t keep my mouth shut while reading it. And I swear if I hear/read “It’s their way” one more time, I’ll lose it.
Anyhow this isn’t a spoiler free review. Like not even a little bit. So if you don’t want any spoilers. Don’t read my review.
What is this book about:
This book is about Circe. She wakes up one morning in a cage, dressed in clothes she doesn’t own, in a land she doesn’t know, where people are speaking a language she doesn’t know.
Soon after they are being paraded through a town so the warriors can have a look at which bride they want to claim. Some of the woman want to help Circe and hide her from the brutal, cruel king but it didn’t work. You see with Circe’s fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes she stands out from the dark skinned, dark haired, people she’s around.
That night they set the woman loose so the warriors can chase them. Once caught they rape the woman to claim them as their wives, because that’s their way….. I’ll let that sink in for a second.
So Circe doesn’t go down without a fight. The king claims her and continues to rape her for the next three days. Her woman slaves, who’m she calls her lady’s in denial of them being slaves, try to help her, they keep telling her that it’s their way. That she is their queen. Well after three days she starts to think “well maybe being queen isn’t so bad” “At least I got pretty clothes and jewelry, I look awesome”, “the sex is pretty good”. So she starts to get on with it.
Lots of stuff happens and Circe keeps talking about her pretty clothes, how she has more stuff than the others. How being queen isn’t that bad. She troughs a temper tantrum a 2 year old would be jealous of, to get a tiger…. because they aren’t dangerous at all or anything.
Well she and her lady’s go on a walk without telling Lahn, the king, her brutal husband that is hot so it’s oke. And when they get back he hits her for leaving. She gets mad about it, says that it’s unforgivable. That she forgave him for raping her but slapping her is unforgivable. She stays mad for a bit but at some point her lady tells her that her husband is beyond waiting so whether she wants to or not, they will have sex. So she forgives him and they have sex.
So yeah she keeps getting more used to being queen, liking it. Using the therm “I am you queen” to get people to do what she wants when it’s convenient.
Another thing that stood out to me is how fast lahn learns english, and circe learns their language.
One of the woman that was also in the hunt with Circe got it even worse. She gets raped still, used in public and beaten. Circe tries to do something but as that country has the same laws we did in the 50, he’s her husband so he can do what he wants with her. This goes on for a while. One event the girl fights back and slashes her husbands face. Circe tries to help but can’t really do much. So as a punishment for raping and hitting his wife the husband gets to live for two more weeks until he and lahn can fight till the death because that husband talked badly about Circe.
But the girl, she gets murdered because she fought her rapist…….. yeah……
Anyhow on with it. Circe doesn’t want any children, Lahn does so she now does to and she gets pregnant. He dotes on her even more, more clothes and pretty jewelry.
When they get to a town. Circe gets recognized while never having met the guy. So it turns out that the Circe that belongs in this universe switched places with this circe.
She explains this to lahn but he doens’t believe her. He locks her up in their room. Telling her that she wil have his children and then he’ll decide what to do with her and whether or not to believe her.
Circe manages to get back home. Her dad is actually mad at her for leaving her husband while she was pregnant because she is in love with him and he didn’t raise a runner. She tells him she doesn’t want to go back and tries to pick up her live but it’s not over. Lahn finds her and drags her back and makes sure to magically tie her to this world even though she doesn’t want to be here. She won’t leave him again, he keeps saying.
After a while Circe starts thinking that she shouldn’t have run. That Lahn didn’t have time to get adjusted to the idea, to the truth. So when Lahn starts to say something that’s close to an apology she tries to interrupt him and apologize for leaving! yeah that she was wrong….
So Lahn never apologized for the shit he pulls because it’s their way.
So the order of the events I described could be a bit off and I missed allot probably. It’s been some time since I read it but this is what I recall and still am not over. Stuff kept adding and adding. I kept thinking this can’t get any worse and Jessica kept telling me just keep reading.
It’s wrong on so many levels. It’s hard to write rape in books, and I don’t mind it as long as it’s being written well. As long as it’s handled well. Rape victims don’t get over their rape after three days because their rapist is hot, they have pretty jewels and clothes and it’s not that bad being queen. It sounds so much like stockholm syndrome to me.
oh yeah and apparently she has magic so thats fun.
What do I like:
So after that rant there couldn’t possible be anything that I liked about this book. Well the writing style is good. The world building is interesting and there was something about this book that made me want to read on. I wanted to know what would happen next.
I kept thinking about this book, so it left an impact on me.
Rating:
2 it was decent stars
Audiobook update: This book is probably my favorite Kristen Ashley book. Heck, it’s probably one of my favorite books ever. Surprisingly, the audiobook was amazing! I feared that with the Korwak language and how intense Lahn was that it might not come out well in audiobook format. I am happy to say this was not the case. The narrator was excellent, and even though the masculine voices never came across as sexy, they were still very well done!
Quite possibly the best book of the series! I loved Lahn, I loved Circe, I loved the plot! Though I can see how some people might hate this one. However, it is one of the best of KA’s works. Seriously good!
Ashley is known for writing “alpha-males,” but this book goes too far. The relationship between Circe and Lahn isn’t sexy, it’s abusive and unhealthy, with manipulation and coercion being ok as long as they’re ‘motivated by love.’
So good!
What a great series and a great ride. I definitely recommend this book it was my favorite one so far in this series. I highly recommend this series and this author. I am looking forward to the next one.
One of my CONSTANT re-reads. Complex characters and a story that keeps you wanting more even after the last page is turned.