Review: Fabulous...and here's why:
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 2, 2014
In no particular order and SPOILER-FREE1) Ezra and Lily. Their relationship was perfect, flawed but perfect. In romance books, I rarely equally like the two main characters of the romance. One usually steals my heart a little more than the other (usually the guy, because hey, I'm a gal) But both Lily and Ezra equally endeared themselves to me. From their strength and perseverance, unwavering love and absolute commitment to each other, I both LOVED them together and as individuals. And BONUS! NO MISCOMMUNICATION ANYWHERE TO BE SEEN! I was so ecstatic. Finally, a relationship that can development without insipid, silly communication disorders. I KNEW it could be done!2) If you could guess from #1 above this, King Cave is a romance novel, and it is an ADULT romance novel. King Hall was a straight up fantasy with some sexual tension thrown in (it was certainly assumed that some type of romance would develop in coming books). But goodness, where the heat level of KH was a 1 (for sexual tension only), KC was a solid 8 out of 10 heat. Sex scenes. They were very well done, and there were plenty. So for those disappointed that KH lacked sex, it was made up for in KC.3) Action-packed. When I say action-packed, I don't mean only literal fighting, running, jumping, or "action". I also mean that there was rarely a lull in the story. From plot reveals, to character developments, shocking/surprising events, and yes, the regular action too, things kept happening. Now sometimes this can overwhelm a story, but Ms. Dawn did an excellent job keeping things streamlined. I had no problem following along and keeping everything straight. And I was never bored. For over 400 pages, I didn't skim once.4) The paranormal. Ms. Dawn takes the generic hallmarks of the paranormal genre regarding different species characteristics and tweeks them to fit perfectly into the world she has created. I find it fascinating that she paired a shifter and vampire together in a romance. I've seen it done a few other times, but I think I like Ms. Dawns' coupling the best. The battle for dominance was great, and believable in the paranormal world. (I won't go into specifics - no spoilers. But for those fans of paranormals, know it is done very well) Again, this speaks to the strength of Ezra and Lily as both individuals and as a couple.5) The secondary characters. After the main characters, the secondaries can make or break a story. ALL of the secondary characters portrayed in King Cave were necessary, well-developed and really added to the overall flavoring of King Cave. Without any of them, I think this book would not have been as good.6) The length. This was a long and extensive novel by current standards, over 400 print pages. I was pleasantly surprised as I love to have in-depth character developments - and King Cave delivered on this front. The length also allowed for a lot, I mean a lot to happen. So get ready.Plus, a nod to the integrity of Scarlett Dawn: Unlike some other authors out there, a 400+ page novel at $5, versus a 40 page "installment" at $3, shows both a respect for the craft of creative writing, respect to the story and its characters, and respect to us the audience. Thank you, Scarlett Dawn. Your integrity did not go unnoticed.7) And the absolute best test to know whether or not I truly enjoyed a book and it deserves five+ stars is whether or not I can pick another book to read directly after it. Presently, I have no interest in reading another book. I am fully content to sit here and ruminate over the fabulousness that was King Cave; to sift through the events, the relationships, to think about what is to come. I have a mile-high pile of other books on my TBR, and I have no intention of touching one anytime soon. This is more than a book hangover, more like a love affair.Things to know:- This is the second book in the Forever Evermore series. If you haven't read King Hall, read it first, then rush to King Cave. You will not be disappointed.- For those grammar Nazis and editing police out there (like me :) ), I am happy to report that there were only a few typos in King Cave. No major mistakes, no spelling issues, etc. I do believe that this series has a publisher and is extensively edited.**Songs**My song pick for the Forever Evermore series: Radioactive by Imagine DragonsMy song pick for King Cave is for Lily and Ezra: Everlong (acoustic version) by The Foo FightersHappy Reading!