King of Envy - Ana Huang

 

(Who wrote it? Thank you. This book rates itself)

First and foremost I know it's been a while since I've been on here but there was a great reason for that. One I'm not ready to share not now however I will eventually.

So when I say this is the hardest Ana Huang book I’ve waited for, I really mean it.
The days were going so, so slow and I just couldn’t wait to get it in my hands. Normally, whenever I pre-order, I get the “click and collect” notification 1–2 days before, but Ana caught on—and I’m guessing someone got told off. Awkward.

I went onto the Waterstones website, searched the book, saw that the in-store collection option was available, so my detective skills told me it was already there even though I didn’t get the text. I rang them, they saved me one from the delivery—and here we are. Call me obsessed, but I say consistent.

Wow. Vuk and Ayana.
First of all, Vuk was definitely morally grey, but he had this sunshine side to him. Shadow? I’m dead. That cat was loved more than Christian Harper loved Mr. Unicorn. I love how Ana always adds something to lighten up the dark and make it grey. I especially loved when Shadow came to the rescue when both Vuk and Ayana were in trouble.

Now, where to begin? The plot was everything.
Ayana was fierce, but she had so much sincerity and shyness in her for a high-paid model. With such a loving family came the downfall of the toxic modeling agency she turned to for help. I admired her strength, resilience, and empathy. She never once shied away from her problems and soldiered through everything—until she couldn’t anymore.

Vuk wasn’t what I expected. He was a character of his own. However, when it came to Ayana, I saw glimpses of Stella and Vivian in her.

Now, I knew Vuk was going to be part of some messed-up you-know-what. I knew there was definitely a morally grey event in his past. And I definitely knew Ana would stir something up—but a brotherhood? That never occurred to me. It was so messed up, gruesome, and undercutting. I loved it. The way Ana meticulously blended Vuk’s previous life with his new one was so methodical and admirable. She really plans the hell out of her series.

The bar fight? Everything.
I was already enraptured by the bachelor party, so when they got into a fight? The dragon that was Dante Russo defending Kai Young? Kai “all straight lines and even straighter glasses” Young? You best believe I ate that scene up and left NO crumbs.

Chris Grey writing “Envy” was cinematic genius.
I don’t know if I was more impressed by the song or how Ana’s PR team pulled that stunt—because wow. If the sales weren’t up before, they were after that and the release party.

Now, the Elevator Scene.
Did it beat the limousine scene from King of Wrath? No, definitely not—and I’ll tell you why. Each “scene” is catered to the couple. Vuk and Ayana could never pull off the limo scene just as Dante and Vivian could never do the elevator scene. It was still steamy and definitely on par. I couldn’t imagine the King of Sins world without either scene.

I’m so glad we had different editions this time around.
I have the original from Waterstones, the black cover from The Works, and the printed foiled version from WHSmith. Is it comparable to the ones offered in the USA? Definitely not—but that’s why I’m here. I’m here to positively sort out why we UK bookish girlies always miss out on the amazing USA stuff. I hunted high and low for the Honeymoon King of Wrath bonus scene from the Indigo edition—which I eventually got. How TikTok works never ceases to amaze me. That’s what sparked my interest in getting into publishing the most, I’d say.

Let’s get to my top three favourite scenes (not including the elevator one because duh—that needs a moment of its own):

1. Vuk and Ayana going cake tasting.
2. The laser tag scene.
3. Shadow’s interference in Vuk’s life. That cat was diabolical.

Honourable mentions: when he told Jordan to call the wedding off, and the epilogue—it gets me every damn time.

The nickname was great, but honestly wasn’t doing it for me—only because I didn’t know how to pronounce it and kept getting stuck. Literally the only reason. The meaning behind it, of course, was everything and more for me. However, nothing beats “Mia Cara.” Ever. The audiobook did scratch that itch when it came to Ayana’s nickname, though.

The one thing I wasn’t prepared for was how different it felt—despite being in the same world—mainly because the story of the four friends had finished, and we moved on to someone outside of that immediate group of men and women.

And last but not least, a mention has to go to Roman Davenport—who NEEDS a book.
A dark romance series? I don’t care—just do it. When I say I squealed when I saw his horrible little appearance, I mean squealed so loud Roman probably heard me. If I was interested in Vuk from his mention in King of Pride, I was twice as intrigued by Roman when we read about him in King of Greed. Both he and Luca need a book. I’ve been hooked on Luca Russo ever since his friendship with Xavier Castillo was born in King of Sloth. Maya and Sebastian have me on the edge of my seat.

I’m excited to return to Blackcastle—but not as much as I am to New York. I mean, on a random day, Ana decided to give us the King of Gluttony cover just to kill us all? Why is April so far away, and why are her ARC lists never open?

This was a 4.5-star read—only because the trope took me time to get used to. It’s not one I read often (or at all), but Ana Huang makes you do things. I’m ready for The Defender, and I love how Jude Bellingham—out of all people—has been fancast for him through edits. I’m not into football, but neither were any of the Twisted or King of Sins girls, and look at them—they got their significant others to grovel even more. So maybe we can learn a thing or two.

It’s one I’m re-reading soon, and until then, head over to my Instagram to find the mood board that’ll get many others into reading Ana Huang too.

Until next time.

Mwah.

Vivian.