This was a really good set up book to get started with a five star series. The world building was really intriguing and the characters were very entertaining. I absolutely can not wait for the next book in the series. This is a perfect book for romantasy readers looking for that dark spice. I loved it!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and plan to continue reading the series! I loved the mixture of modern world, magic, other dimensions, monsters and mystery. I enjoyed how sassy Lydia is and how her sarcasm truly comes through even when dealing with characters that may not fully understand it. The aspect of characters coming into this other dimension/word, Under, is also really cool and the fact that many of them were once human is another very cool aspect of these book. I feel there is more to our king Edu and I cannot wait to see what Aon is up to! I gave this book 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this book! The story had me hooked in the very beginning, and I loved the ending of this book. I cannot wait to read the next one. I will say it got a tiny bit boring around the middle of the book, but it seems like this book is kind of a large prequel for the next book. The book starts with Lydia getting to work (she works as a medical examiner doing autopsies) and all of a sudden the corpse she was examining comes to life and tries to attack her! Lydia then gets stalked by various monsters and has no idea what's going on around her. Eventually she gets trapped in a strange new world and must find her way out before she is killed. Overall I would recommend this book, even if it does leave you wanting more. I'm excited to read the next one!

The speed of the book just wasn’t my thing, I finally got interested into the story at the end which is why I’ve lowered my rating. I will definitely be reading the next book now that i’m interested! thankyou.

I have no idea what I just read, but I enjoyed it? The entirety of this book is essentially a setup for books to come, so it wasn't super satisfying, and I was confused for the majority of it, but I'd like to read the next one, if only to see if it sheds some light on what the hell is going on.

Lydia is a forensic something or other who pokes and picks at bodies to get all the bits together for the investigators to go over. There's some wtf vampire action on the job one day which leads to her being abducted and brought to Under. Under appears to be some kind of parallel universe, not hell but certainly hellish, and honestly... I don't fucking know lol. Almost nothing happens. I could sum the entirety of the book in a single sentence, but it would be a spoilery sentence. There are kings. There are servants. Humans get changed into monsters. I'm not quite sure why. Not much is explained. Still, I'm reading the next one since it's on kindle unlimited and comes out this month. This cover is a travesty, the cover of the version I got from netgalley is much nicer. It seems that this author wrote this series years ago and is rereleasing it, which is slightly irritating because I could be reading the next one right now, but it seems to have been pulled.

King of Flames
The Masks of Under #1
Fantasy
Kathryn Ann Kingsley
⭐️⭐️⭐️. 5

• ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ᴘᴏᴠꜱ • ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ • ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ •

I love this author and her writing style so I was really looking forward to starting this book.

I felt like I was thrown in at the deep end immediately at the beginning because there was action, talk of monsters, vampires and magic, kidnapping, strange dreams and some kind of ritual or something similar. By 32% nothing had been explained.

The setting felt a little odd to me. I think it was meant to be in a modern world (based on certain references). Some of the characters hadn't been to Earth in decades, however, they weren't surprised by the changes and understood what everything was etc.

I found Lydia a little annoying, to be honest. I'm not quite sure why though. She was a bit immature so maybe that's why I struggled to connect with her. Nick, her best friend, had the habit of running away and leaving Lydia behind whenever they ran into trouble. He was a rubbish friend, in my opinion 😂.

The pacing was a bit slow for me. This was a short book but I found the plot dragged and it was slightly boring at times.

The ending was ok. I was expecting more spice or at least a kiss but the most intimate thing was Aon touching Lydia's lips and cheek with his metal-clawd hand/fingers.

I'm not sure if I'll read the next book or not yet.

*Thank you to @Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

Ok, this was a very pleasant surprise. I was almost afraid it would be NA and while at times it did feel like the characters were acting younger than the book ages, the world and the "monsters" most certainly were not.

Lydia isnt a not-like-other-girls badass but she definitely holds her own, is willing to fight for her life and doesn't give up easy. Her interactions with her changed circumstances and the scary people she was facing didnt come across as mouthy but not timid either. There is a lot of potential for some amazing growth and I want t read the next book to see if it lives up to the potential set up in this one.

Aon. Aon Aon Aon..... I mean, bro screams Dark Love Interest from the get go. Ugh... He is so otherwordly, reminds me a bit of Death from KC's arcana books, which was anther character with so much damn Rizz. I like that, how he is genuinely what a being so far removed from humanity would/should behave. He was Tuatha De danan style, not faerie style and I ate that UP.

There were a few things that bothered me, specifically how the characters plucked from different times still behave like they are on earth and from those times. You would think 50 years in the Under would change something in them. Also Evie, yea, I could be wrong but I dont trust her. Coz noway is someone behaving oh so chummy and Lydia's weirdest stupid moment was the befriending of Evie so quickly.

All in all, i really really like Aon and Lydia. Edu can second lead himself to oblivion for all i care. And I will put book 2 on my tbr.

Thanks to Netgalley and author for the arc.

"Everything about my life has been pretty normal working as a forensic autopsy technician. Until the day I woke up with a mysterious symbol tattooed on my arm. Suddenly normal no longer existed. The barrier between Earth and a world called Under, dissolved...

Now I’m trapped with dozens of other people. Held prisoner by the creators of myths and legends, where the realm is ruled by two masked kings who want to turn us into creatures like them."

The above is the beginning of the synopsis for 'King of Flames' by new to me author, Kathryn Ann Kingsley. The first novel in the series 'The Masks of Under', tells the story of Lydia, who has found herself in an alternate universe...literally. One day, she is doing her job normally, and then she finds herself kidnapped and taken to another world in the blink of an eye. Along with her best friend Nick, she learns some horrifying news - they, along with other humans, have been brought to undergo a transformation and turn into creatures just like those in Under. But when it's Lydia's turn, she is rejected and stays human. This abnormality causes the current King Edu to want her dead but also draws the attention of the sleeping King Aon, whom she has an unnatural connection with.

I really enjoyed the overall plot and world-building of the book. The introduction of a new world and species was really well executed, with the descriptions making me feel like I could picture the creatures as described. I also really liked the characters - Lydia was spunky and strong and her antics with Nick, Edu, Aon, and some other side characters had me laughing at times.

It fell short for me in one main, but major way: despite being described as a paranormal romance there really was not much romance at all! This disappointed me a bit, and though there was the setup for more romance in future books, I would have preferred to see some more in this novel.

All in all, still a very good read, and 'King of Flames' is a solid 3-star for me!

*A great many thanks to Second Sky, Kathryn Ann Kingsley, and NetGalley for this ARC. It is important to note that I was not committed to providing a positive review; all opinions are undoubtedly my own.*

3.5 🌟 but it could be the start of a 5 star series?!

Okay, so I received an ARC of this book from netgalley (I assume they're rereleasing or changing up the covers or something) - I didn't even realise it was already a fully released series until I came on to review it.
It's a good job really, as that ending was giving it 3 star vibes not gonna lie 😂
I'd stick it at a 3 and a half star rating, solely because it felt very prequel-ish (like an assassins blade type deal) but it does make so much more sense now with it being the first in a long series.

It was actually quite an easy read, I finished it quickly and it didn't take much effort to understand the world building and concept.
The idea of it all felt very original, the world of Under that aligns with earth every so often and the only way for their population to survive is to snatch humans marked by 'the ancients' to be transformed into otherworldly beings (shifters, vampires, monsters etc).
I'm really interested to know what the deal is with Lydia and why she is different from the rest 👀
Although I have my theories, especially with a couple of nuggets of information sprinkled in that seemed important.
And this mysterious connection with Aon who for all intents and purposes is a pretty bad guy. I mean from what I've read so far he's morally black, rather than morally grey.
It was overall an enjoyable and intriguing read and I am interested to see how it is going forward. I'm definitely going to try the second book, I'm just hoping that a couple of things I noticed in this book don't escalate come the second book or I won't be able to continue.

At times it just had this meh feeling, it was over a pretty short timeline and some of the information at the beginning felt unneeded, and although there was lots of action it felt as though it didn't really get going until around the 50% mark (in regards to where the story was heading/important info etc). I honestly feel like 30% of the first 50 could have been cut out.
At times I found Aon a little icky, but I'm not sure if it's to build a facade of him for us to see crumble in upcoming books, this whole the only one who can hurt her is me spiel isn't up my street at all, and I'm just hoping he isn't the torture-y type to Lydia. Like I don't mind him being morally black with others, but i want him to be softer for her 👀 I know others wont agree but that's just what I like 😂
Also, when he called someone a 'beautiful, blonde child' I'm hoping beyond hope that wasn't about Lydia as that's also a bit icky for me🫠
There were a couple of times I couldn't click with the writing style, it may be because I enjoy longer descriptive sentences, with lots of commas 😂 and at times the writing seemed short and choppy.
Also I hated when Lydia called people dude, and the Evelyn's accent gave me the ick too 😂 like the way it was wrote down on the page, I actually like the sound of the accent in real life, just the way it was wrote was a bit cringe 😂 this also might be because I'm British, it's probably the way Americans feel about British books sometimes 😂 so this all could be a me problem 🙈

All in all though, its definitely the start of a good series, and from what I know about KAK her series get more heated, angsty and then steamy as they go on 👀. There isn't any romance in this one, although I feel like Aon's stone heart may be melting a little bit already, so I would class this as VERY slow burn 🔥
This isn't a smutty quick fix, this is the first in a fantasy series with romance on the horizon 🖤

King of Flames had me hooked from the very first chapter to the point that I stayed up until 2am reading it in one sitting last night. If you’re a fan of Clive Barker’s book Cabal (or the movie based off that book, Nightbreed), the vibes of Phantom of the Opera and Van Helsing, and always thought the Goblin King from Labyrinth would be even hotter if he was just a tad bit darker, this book is right up your alley. Lydia, a morgue employee in modern day Boston wakes up with a mysterious tattoo one morning and later that day is attacked by what is supposed to be a dead body (spoiler alert: it’s not dead). Her best bud Nick (whom also happens to work as a security guard for the government building the morgue is located in) also reveals later on that he too has a surprise tattoo…and then stuff really hits the fan. Turns out, Lydia and Nick have been chosen to join an alternate dimension hell but not really hell world populated by monsters…and one particularly crazy ass monster has his eye(s) (he’s got like a full robocop visor/mask on so I’m not sure if he actually has eyes) on Lydia…

Guys, this book is crazy in the best way possible. It’s such a contradiction of things but makes perfect sense. These “monsters” aren’t really monstrous in an evil way, it’s just their nature. Kind of like how an alligator does alligator things because it’s an alligator. Not because it’s trying to be vindictive and/or evil. Some of the “monsters” are super polite and remind me of characters that would be more at home in a Sherlock Holmes book or Downton Abbey. Others definitely do have an ick factor to them, but not anymore than regular people today.

The world building is really unique in this book. The “Under” isn’t hell or purgatory technically, but like one character explains when Lydia asks if he’s a vampire (he’s not) humans have based their tales/monsters off the Under…the concept of the ancients reminds me a little bit of the Celtic and Greek creation myths.

I found this to be a really interesting, fast paced read and am looking forward to the future installments. I’m particularly interested in the dynamic between Lydia and Aon…because I have lots of thoughts and theories about those two.

My only criticism is that this particular book is being marketed as a:
“Dark fantasy romance” & “This fully revised new edition is darker and spicier than ever.”

There was absolutely zero romance, steam, or spice in this book. There was a hint of paprika, but no spice. Sure, Edu had that one orgy but there wasn't anything described at all just that he was being serviced by two girls. If you are going to say your book is spicy/steamy, it needs to actually have those elements. This is definitely a dark book and it’s a slow burn I’m assuming between Lydia and Aon, but how slow? Maybe instead of stating this particular book is ‘spicier than ever’ just stick with ‘darker than ever’ and state that the spice factor will increase with each book if that is indeed the plan.

I enjoyed this book! I rated it 3.5/5, it only wasn’t higher as I didn’t connect with the characters very much. I’d definitely be interested in reading the later books, as the plot is super interesting

Kingsley does an excellent job of blending the real world with the supernatural. Lydia is a strong, relatable character who handles the bizarre and terrifying situations thrown at her with a mix of fear and determination. The chemistry between Lydia and Aon is intense, adding a layer of romantic tension to the already suspenseful plot.

The pacing is generally strong, though there are moments where the story lingers a bit too long on building its dark atmosphere. However, the twists and turns keep the reader engaged, and the world-building is both vivid and eerie.

Overall, "King of Flames" is a thrilling start to The Masks of Under series. It’s a must-read for fans of dark fantasy, especially those who enjoy a mix of romance and horror.

Thank you Second Sky & NetGalley for this great ARC!

Oh I loved this. SOOOOO much fun, and much darker than I was anticipating. This is the first book in the series, and is very obviously meant to set up the story to come & to get the reader hooked. Well, CONSIDER ME HOOKED because I am ready to sign on for the next 5 books.

In Under, where magic is the norm and belonging to one of the six houses is everything, our heroine’s struggle with her identity becomes a captivating lens through which we explore themes of power, isolation, and acceptance. The contrast between her absence of magic and the powerful abilities of those around her creates an atmosphere of tension, particularly during the ominous Ceremony of the Fall, where her secret is revealed. This moment is both pivotal and exhilarating, prompting a thrilling chain reaction that drives the plot forward. One of the most compelling aspects of Kingsley’s writing is her ability to craft complex characters, and Aon, the enigmatic king of the House of Shadows, is no exception. Shrouded in mystery and darkness, he represents not only danger but also desire. Their tension-laden relationship is rife with uncertainty and longing, which Kingsley masterfully navigates with a delicate balance between attraction and fear. The allure of Aon is palpable, and as the protagonist grapples with her growing feelings for him, readers are pulled into a whirlwind of emotional intensity and moral ambiguity.
As the plot unfolds, it transforms into a seductive game of cat and mouse, where political machinations and personal relationships intersect. The tension rises as rivals plot against the unlikely bond between the protagonist and Aon, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Kingsley cleverly intertwines moments of action and romance, ensuring that neither overshadows the other, leading to a satisfying narrative arc. I highly recommend this book, it is filled with rich character development and intricate world-building. It is a must read for fans of dark fantasy and romance.

If you like Lightlark, kingdom of the wicked, and phantom of the opera you would certainly like this dark fantasy. Full of dark humor and gothic horror vibes it kept you wanting to keep going. I was really impressed with this book considering how many oddities there were. I don’t know what book two has planned… if this will be an enemies to lovers or a captive situation. I look forward to continuing the series.

"King of Flames" by Kathryn Ann Kingsley is a captivating fantasy romance that immerses readers in a world of intrigue and passion. The novel follows a dynamic protagonist entangled in a high-stakes battle for power and love within a vividly crafted fantasy realm. Kingsley’s writing is richly detailed, creating a compelling narrative that blends intense romance with epic world-building. The characters are complex and their interactions are charged with emotional intensity, making it a gripping read for fans of fantasy and romance alike.

I really enjoyed this book, thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I found this book to be very unique and was a very quick and easy read. I actually felt the book could have been longer, however sometimes a shorter read is preferred. I’m excited to see where the story goes as I didn’t feel like I fully got to the heart of all the characters.

Overall I very much enjoyed this book.

This book was very short and ended just as the action was getting started, however I enjoyed the world and the characters the author has created and look forward to delving deeper in the next book. Lydia was a likeable main character and while the romantic storyline seems like it is going to be a very slow burn, the dynamic between Lydia and Aon has been interesting so far. I’ll keep an eye out for the next book in the series.

King of Flames had me on the edge of my seat. It was my bedroom book (the book I read before I fall asleep). It was so good! Lydia is thrown into the world of Under as the worlds collide and allows the Creatures of Under to pass into our world. Why do they pass into our world you say? Oh no big reason besides growing their population with every sort. Lydia was just living her life working on dead people when one suddenly arises after she woke up with some weird symbol on her arm. What’s even weirder is that her best friend also has the same symbol. In this story Lydia fights for her life every step of the way in any way she knows how. Edu a king of Under comes to collect her himself, stepping through like a mountain and being very impressed with Lydias will to fight. But Edu isn’t the only one that Lydia has caught the eye of. The sadistic king called King Aon also is impressed with Lydia. Watching her from afar even when she wasn’t part of the chosen. Now she’s in his world the invasion of dreams begins and it is nothing but terrifying for Lydia. She wants to go home. No, she NEEDS to go home, back to her world. That is not happening any time soon. In this story the worlds change and the fight is to stay alive. Make it home and not fall into bed with a king,

This book packed a PUNCH! How on earth does this seemingly short book have so much inside of it? The detailed world building was incredible. No location was the same, no person introduced was the same and every creature was different.
My brain struggled to comprehend that no one was good., everyone was bad to some extent and I loved it. It was so refreshing.
Aon is an evil enigma I just need to know more about!

I’m so happy this is a re-released book/series because I need more of this series asap.