Book Review: King of Envy by Ana Huang
Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
King of Envy by Anna Huang is a breath of fresh air that drew me in from the start. Like I said, I loved it in King of Wrath, and I'm loving it here too. So yeah, I think if you like the whole mafia thing, I think you'll like this too - even if Vuk isn't in the mafia.
Yes, Vuk is Serbian, and Ayana is Ethiopian. Anna Huang clearly writes diverse romance, and I like the way she pushes that diversity beyond her own background. It seems like she does her research, too. There's a particular scene between Ayana and her mom that feels well-informed, like the author really paid attention to cultural nuances. I'm not Serbian or Ethiopian, but the dialogue and representation felt thoughtful.
As far as connections to their other books, yes, there are a few cameos from the Kings of Sin series. I believe we've seen all the couples from the first four books. We also get a mention of the heroine of Twisted Lies—Stella Alonso—because her industry is connected to Ayana's. That was a nice detail.
So far, I'm really enjoying it. Anna Huang has done a lot of beautiful writing. The last two books I read, I gave them two stars, so this one was refreshing. I'm reading this one fast. I just want to know what's going to happen next, and I'm thoroughly entertained. I love Vuk and Ayana. I support them.
Now, technically, there's cheating involved. But to me, it doesn't really feel like cheating. Ayana's marriage with Jordan is a marriage of convenience—there's no love involved. They've already agreed that they can have a romantic relationship, so yes, it does involve elements of sneaking around and cheating, but in the context it doesn't seem morally wrong. So, if you like cheating romances, you might like this one. And even if you usually hate them like me, I don't think it will bother you too much.
This book has a Beauty and the Beast vibe to it. People are afraid of Vuk or talk about his looks, while Ayana is a stunning model. I like this contrast. He's protective and very much a "touch her and die" type of guy. Even though they're not officially together, he calls her "mine" several times - which I obviously liked.
I'm about 50% done reading as far as I've gotten, not much has happened yet. This book is long - I believe it's the longest book in the series so far. I accidentally spoiled myself on a major plot point by scrolling ahead, and now I'm just waiting for that moment to happen. Still, it hasn't felt too long so far; I've read about 250 pages, and I'm curious to see how I'll feel when I'm 400 pages in.
Ranking-wise, King of Wrath and King of Greed are still my top two, but King of Envy could slip into third place - or even higher, depending on how it ends. I gave King of Sloth four stars and King of Pride three stars, and I'm enjoying this one more than either of those so far.
Now my final thoughts: I'm giving King of Envy 4.5 stars. The only reason this isn't a five-star read is because of its ending. I won't go into spoilers right now, but I will say that there were a few things that happened near the end that I didn't like. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, given its tropes and the way it was marketed.
One personal issue I had was that I like to see couples in romance novels form a proper, established pair. That didn't really happen until the epilogue. It was clear they were obsessed with each other and had feelings, but I wanted the two of them to be together more.
Also, this was the least vulgar Anna Huang book I've read so far. It only had two detailed sex scenes. They were undoubtedly hot, but for such a long book, I expected more spice. And Ayana's obsession with shoes - while bizarre - started to feel exaggerated. Every time she had to dress casually, she would show up in a runway outfit with heels. It reminded me of Anaka's obsession with the color purple in Legacy of Gods. Cute the first few times, annoying after that.
Despite all of that, this book didn't feel long to me. The short chapters kept the pace going, and I just kept turning the pages to find out what happened next. I liked this book the most.
This book didn't have as many cameos as The Striker, but that makes sense because it feels like the beginning of a new arc. Ayana isn't really friends with the original girl group from the earlier books - although she does know their publicist, Sloane. So, if you're wondering if you can read King of Envy as a standalone, I'd say yes. You're not missing out on much by excluding the others, although I would recommend reading King of Greed because a character from there plays a big role here.
As far as the darker elements go - yes, this is one of Anna Huang's darkest books. There's a terrifying torture scene that
Spoiler Thoughts (skip this if you haven't read the book):
The thing that stuck out the most to me was the villains at the end. They turned into a cartoon character- ridiculous and unbelievable. I couldn't take it seriously. And then there was the cat. When the cat literally helped save them, I just rolled my eyes. It was too much.
Still, I really liked Roman in this book. I hope we get to read his story next time. He charmed me in King of Greed, and now even more so. Give me a mafia-type romance with him, and I'll be thrilled.
Final Verdict:
King of Envy is one of Anna Huang's best books- diverse, dark, emotional, and addictive. It's not perfect, but it's engaging, heartwarming, and worth your time. You don't have to read the rest of the series first, but if you do, it makes the experience that much better. 4.5 stars from me.
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