The King's Captive by K. M. Shea Series: Gate of Myth and Power #1
Published by K. M. Shea on December 16, 2022
Format: eBook
Pages: 340
ASIN: B0BP5FND61
Source: Purchased
I can turn into a housecat.
It’s a fun magic, except in a world filled with vampires and werewolves, it doesn’t exactly make me a powerhouse. Instead, the supernatural community has classified me as an outcast, which means one thing: Picking on me is open season all day, every day.
The local fae are the worst of all, and it’s during one of their regular “capture the cat-girl” sessions that I shift into my cat form and meet HIM for the first time.
Noctus is so powerful his magic radiates off him like a sun, and my fae captors can barely look in his general direction. And then my life gets even more terrifying when Noctus decides to take me with him. As a pet.
Why did he pick today to “adopt don’t shop” a cat?
It gets worse when I realize he’s an elf, a ruling race of supernaturals that was supposedly killed off centuries ago.
But he’s not just any elf, no. He’s an elven king, with heaps of secrets to protect. Secrets that I am quickly learning since he includes his new pet in everything from breaking into buildings to inspect classified paperwork to tracking down sketchy supernaturals.
All this means if he gets even a hint that I’m not a real cat, I’m going to find out firsthand how elves treat their prisoners.
So, escaping Noctus is priority #1. How hard can it be? (Answer: very.)
King’s Captive is the first book in the Gate of Myth and Power urban fantasy trilogy, and is part of the Magiford Supernatural City world. It features elves, fae, werewolves, and vampires, and contains an adventure-filled and hilarious take on the Hades and Persephone myth. It’s packed with humor, battles, and a sweet, slow burn romance between an outcast magic user and the deadly king of the elves.
Spiritual Content
Phrases like “Mr. I Look Like An Angel And A Fae Had A Baby” and “the hounds of hell” are as spiritual as The King’s Captive gets.
As far as magic goes, The King’s Captive takes place in the Magiford Supernatural City world (also seen in Hall of Blood and Mercy and Court of Midnight and Deception), which, in addition to humans, is inhabited by wizards, vampires, werewolves, fae, and elves. (There are dragon shifters in the world, too, but we don’t see any in this book. We do see some of their spells and wards, though.) All of them have varying magical abilities (as described below).
- Wizards have magical houses and the ability to “bend the elements to our will — like fire, wind, water, you get the point — and fight or defend with raw magic.’ (Quoted from Hall of Blood and Mercy #1.)
- “The fae are in a similar but opposite position. Since they have to use things to channel the magic for them, they can use magic for things like sealing powers, disguises, embedding a spell in an item, a strain of hypnosis, and so on.” (Quoted from Hall of Blood and Mercy #1.)
- Though they could “replenish magic” simply by existing, “elves were somewhat similar in that [they] worked best if using an artifact or tool, but it wasn’t fully necessary. The check to [their] power, however, was emotions. An emotionally unstable elf wouldn’t be able to summon even a flicker of magic.”
- Vampires are typical vampires, except sunlight only makes them weaker and uncomfortable. They have enhanced senses and are faster than werewolves but not as strong.
- Werewolves are typical werewolves who can shift at will. They, like vampires, have enhanced senses. (See difference above.)
- Dragon shifters are the only shifters capable of casting magic.
Violence
Most violence in The King’s Captive occurs off-page and centers around “artifacts that were self-destructing and causing damage instead of merely breaking down.” These incidents aside, Chloe learns Noctus killed the entire Mors family of elves during the elven war. Noctus kills three mantasps — fae creatures that are “a gross combination of a wasp and a praying mantis” — at the request of the other elves. He also uses magic to hurt a fae lurking around outside his house. A shadowy tracker tries to kill Chloe multiple times throughout the book and at one point, Aristide, Charon, Chloe, Ker, and Noctus battle a group of twenty supernaturals. None of these scenes get graphic.
Drug And Alcohol Content
Not present.
Sexual Content
Not present.
Swearing Or Foul Language
- One use of h-ll
- One use of da-n
My Take On The King’s Captive by K. M. Shea
The King’s Captive is a promising start to a new trilogy by K. M. Shea. Though not as fast-paced as the first Magiford Supernatural City trilogy, it piques one’s curiosity like never before, setting the hook for the next novel in this enemies-to-lovers urban fantasy series.