Reviews: King, Tyrant, Lawless, Soulless | The King Series Books 1-4 by T.M. Frazier

 I read the first four books in T.M. Frazier's King series in July and I was hooked. I'd been itching for something dark and gritty and Frazier certainly delivered that. These stories focus on men who choose to live life on their on terms, outside the law. They definitely fall into the realm of anti-heroes. These books are big on drama with plenty of action and intensity, but Frazier counters all of that with surprisingly emotional relationships and characters that forge strong connections, romantic and otherwise.

Frazier's style is graphic (both sex and violence) but it's also fiction, and at the end of the day I was entertained, which was what I was after.


    

Doe was a girl with no memories. King was fresh out of prison. Their story was far from conventional but I ate it up. Doe was lost, afraid, and her future seemed as empty as her past. Her first encounter with King forged a connection between them and while their relationship got off to a rocky start (he basically kept her because her friend stole from him) it was soon obvious that these two people were like two halves of a whole. King lived life on his own terms (on the wrong side of the law) and was completely unapologetic. This wasn’t a man looking for redemption or to turn his life around. He was badass to the core and lived on the edge. As Doe’s past and King’s endgame drew to its conclusion, I was completely riveted. Frazier took the story darker and grittier that I anticipated but it’s exactly what I was in the mood for. King’s friend Preppy provided some unexpected lightness and humor and it was impossible not to love him (in all his twisted glory). The cliffhanger ending had me picking up the next book immediately. 4 STARS

King ended with one heck of a cliffhanger so when I started Tyrant I was desperate for answers. Doe was back at home in a life she didn’t recognize. Learning who she was held less appeal since she’d created a new life with King. But there were complications that meant she couldn’t just walk away from her old life and return to King. Her memories returning brought fear instead of relief and she was desperate to find a way out of her current situation. It said a lot that this girl was so willing to walk away (actually run) from a comfortable, sheltered existence and get back to a life with an outlaw who lived life on his own terms. Doe and King’s story played out in a dramatic and violent fashion and I was so there for it. Admittedly, Frazier’s brand of dark romance isn’t for everyone (graphic violence, drug use, taboo subject matter), but if you’re in the mood for something gritty (of if dark and twisted is just your jam), I definitely recommend Frazier’s King series. 4 STARS

    

Lawless was Bear’s story, a character that appeared in both of the previous two books in the King series. Where King had always forged his own path and been something of a loner outlaw, Bear was born into the MC. It’s the life he’d always known but it had changed. When a girl he met years ago came to him for help, he found someone he was willing to put above the club. Bear went through hell in the previous book (Tyrant) and he wasn’t in a good place when Thia found  him. Her circumstances at home meant she had to grow up fast and take on a lot of responsibility but now she was in over her head and needed help. Bear was intense but loyal to a fault and he committed to making things right for Thia – even if it meant going against his own club, and his own family. I loved the way Bear was willing to put it all on the line and the sacrifice he was willing to make was staggering. Once again, Frazier ended right at a pivotal moment and I would have been ready to pull my hair out if I didn’t already have the next book ready to go. 4 STARS

Soulless was the conclusion to Bear and Thai’s story and it didn’t disappoint. Bear now had a target on his back and the MC, his former brothers, was gunning for him. A person from his past also complicated matters and he was still making personal sacrifices to keep Thia safe. Bear knew that a war was coming and he, along with King, was prepared for battle. The whole series has been a little over the top but Soulless took that extra step and was just shy of Crazy Town. There was kidnapping, violence, traitors, and shocking twists. It was a wild story and I just hung on for the ride. As I’ve said before, Frazier’s brand of dark and gritty story telling isn’t for everyone. She pushes the boundaries and then decides to go even further. But I’ve grown attached to these wrong-side-of-the-law characters and can’t wait to continue the series. 4 STARS

HAVE YOU READ THIS SERIES?
DO YOU ENJOY DARKER THEMES?

26 comments

  1. I LOVE DARK ROMANCES!! I'll have to look into these!

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  2. This series is on my TBR, but I just haven't gotten to it yet. I'm not a dark romance all the time girl, but I certainly have my moments where I'm craving one.

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    1. Same here, Alison. Sometimes Light and fluffy just doesn't do it for me and I want something darker.

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  3. Darker stuff never works for me, but hey, obviously it was good for you to read 4 books. Glad you enjoyed them.

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    1. I can definitely see where darker isn't for everyone (and I have to be in the mood for it) but these have really been working for me lately.

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  4. I feel pretty much the same about this series. It's utterly addictive, but also kind of turns you off at the same time because of the nastiness. I do have to say that I wish she would do something different than so much rape. There's just SO MUCH of it in this series to the point where it didn't even shock me anymore. When it got to that point, I started to be concerned. I do think what she writes makes sense in the situation, even if I don't always love it. Bear's story did go towards too crazy town. I think if you're enjoying this series so far, you're going to love Preppy's books. Preppy is... Well, you know Preppy.

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    1. There's not a lot that totally turns me off because at the end of the day it's fiction, but like I said I totally get that she writes about stuff that not everybody wants to read about. I'm reading Rage's book right now and then on to Preppy!

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  5. Probably not for me but I'm glad you found a series to escape into. We all could use more of that right now.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. So true, Karen. And for me, these are definitely escapism. :)

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  6. I read the first book and LOVED it, but for some reason I didn't continue. But I do plan on finishing the series especially in seeing your thoughts on it. And these are some of the best in the dark romance genre.

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    1. I hope you get a chance to continue the series soon, Renee!

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  7. These aren't my typical kinds of reads, but I'm intrigued by the stories - and the covers!

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    1. I remember it was the cover of King that initially pulled me in... years ago. And it took me all this time to finally read it!

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  8. I have to be in the mood for a dark romance, and even then I'm not a fan of drug use in the story. Glad to hear you enjoyed the series.

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    1. Everyone has their own lines they draw when it comes to reading, I think, so sometimes it's good to know in advance what to expect. That way you can avoid it altogether if you want.

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  9. Honestly, darker romances pop up on my radar occasionally. I’m not normally one for them, I want light fun escape in my romance... but every so often the mood reading takes over and you want a something a little more. This series sounds like it delivers on that front and considering there are cliffhangers here I think I know exactly what kind of romance they will deliver.

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    1. I guess Frazier has a thing for cliffhangers because there have been several... and they're real jaw-droppers!

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  10. I usually lean toward the light and fluffy when it comes to romance, although I say that and Wuthering Heights immediately popped into my head and it doesn't get much darker than that. These sound really good though!

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    1. LOL So true! Wuthering Heights is right up there when it comes to dark.

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  11. Sometimes books that are so out there are just what you need! Every now and then I like to read dark and twisty... This series is on my list of want to read. :)

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    1. This series had been on my TBR for years and now I'm kicking myself. For whatever reason, this one is really ticking my boxes right now.

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  12. You liked this one more than I did! I couldn't get past the rape and how he passed her over to a friend so he could also rape her. Stories like that don't sit well with me, even if the MC "changes" or "grows" over time. But like Karen said, it's good to find something you can escape into!

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬

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    1. I guess if it had been the main character I would have felt differently about it. But as it was, off the page with an unknown character... not saying that makes it right, but it wasn't like the main character was abused and then fell in love with the abuser. I can almost always compartmentalize fiction as fiction and take it for what it is.

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  13. I keep seeing this one around and am so intrigued! I'm glad you enjoyed the first one! (I avoided reading the other reviews because of spoilers lol)

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    1. This series had been on my TBR for so long! I was excited to finally start it and find that it was just what I was looking for.

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