The Ippos King (Wraith Kings Book 3)

Serovek Pangion, margrave and lord of High Salure, survived his tenure with the Wraith Kings in their epic battle to defeat the Galla demon horde. Although he recovered from a mortal wound which serves as a physical reminder, Serovek has not walked away emotionally unscathed. Sevovek’s guilt over having left one of their cohort behind as well as nightmares of Meggiddo’s soul enduring relentless horrific suffering and eternal torture continues to haunt him. Strange magics are at work on the monk’s body which remains anchored on the earthly plain connecting him somehow to the other Wraith Kings as well. Serovek’s mission to return the magically ensorcelled body home to Meggido’s fellow monks accompanied by sha-Anhuset, the Kai woman whom he has very strong feelings for, becomes fraught with peril and dangers.As a grey skinned, glowing eyes Kai with vicious teeth and claws marking her as an obviously totally different species from humans, Anhuset has a very jaundiced view of them finding human looks quite repellingly ugly along with their often treacherous actions, she finds them frequently way too mouthy to tolerate. Since Anhuset has spent time with and come to respect her Regent and cousin, Brishen’s human wife, Ildiko, she has developed more appreciation for Serovek. He has delighted in sparing verbally with this warrior woman from their first meeting. Serovek has proved himself many times to be a loyal friend of the Kai in his and Anhuset’s mutal fighting experiences. Anhuset is impressed with his bravery and resourcefulness though she is both fascinated and repulsed by him in equal measures; it is getting tougher for her to remain unaffected by their clearly mutual attraction while she resists it with her dour and stoic demeanor. Serovek’s desire for Anhuset from the first has only strengthened with time and association.Serovek and his firefly woman’s journey becomes quite perilous as they discover that their demonic enemy may not have been totally eradicated as well encountering a warlord determined to annihilate them after some sadistic blood sport. If that is not enough to endure after they survive some extreme circumstances, Serovek is arrested as a traitor by his Beladine king who has reason to eradicate this man whose popularity is a threat as he is beloved by their people for honor and heroics. Anhuset and Serovek’s survival depends on their bravery, exceptional skills, stout hearts, and a relationship between that wins out against prejudice, betrayal, and political maneuvering to show what honor and love can do in the face of overwhelming odds.As always with Ms. Draven’s stories, there are thrills, chills, and monstrous creatures to get a reader's pulse racing along with an epic journey of not only a noble cause, but the workings of the heart and mind of two seemingly disparate people who see beyond each other’s visage to their souls. Third in the Wraith King’s saga, this finely crafted story will make fans so very pleased and longing for the next one. The true mark of a well told tale is that long after the story is finished, I carry the characters and scenes in my head and heart: THE IPPOS KING, Serovek and Anhuset’s story is one such captivating book.

After binge reading the first two I had to pick this one up immediately after. It was nice to finally see these two on their own and I'm surprised at where they ended up by the end of the book. A slow but satisfying burn.The plot was a bit slow at times and left more questions than answers. Most of which I assume will be expanded upon in further books but there was certainly more info dropped to the reader than was dealt with so I certainly felt a bit empty on the payoff for the plot and lore. I liked that we learned a more of the Beladine kingdom and hope the same is explored in the future books.Anhuset is now undoubtedly my favorite character of all the books. She is so much her own person. I very much liked seeing how she thinks and reacts to things. Especially her true self always taunting her everytime she denies liking Serovek, that was enjoyable. My biggest appreciation is that she is basically the opposite of Ildiko. Ildiko is considered weak but has inner strength and passion. Where Anhuset is considered strong but still has insecurities and fears she carries with her. Both women are great characters in their own regard but Anhuset comes out on top for me.This last bit is what brought down my rating: since I am reading this considering it's part of a series and it affects my view of it entirely. I unfortunately came into this with the love and admiration for Ildiko and Brishen but I can't help but feel like they were given the boot in this story. I understand this book has an entirely different focus and is viewed from a different perspective but they just don't feel the same. It makes me sad thinking that it's likely all I'll get from them going forward in this series. Just empty cameos of them playing their roles as regents to help move the plot along but no longer seen as fully realized characters with their own wants and needs. The only moment I felt was different was Brishen's final conversation with Anhuset. It felt then like he let himself be just Brishen and not his title. And maybe it's intentional. If it is, great, but I can't know for sure and it leaves me sad. My only hopes for that in particular are that the author returns to do a book focusing on them again before she finishes up the series. Even a shorter in-between story would be fantastic.All in all it's a great book, it's refreshing to engage with different characters especially if you just read the previous two books. It still keeps romance and extensive world building of the previous ones. Just don't get attached to the other couple like I did and you'll have a wonderful time!As a side note, It's also weird to me that there's been the mention of "no Interracial babies" more than a few times in each book. Seems like beating a dead horse but maybe it's important to remind people it ain't happening.

Really enjoyed this story of opposites connecting. The bond between, Serovek and Anhuset is brilliant and the banter between them is even better! This story is original and a fantastic read. You need to read the first two in order to understand the story. I would love to see this played out on screen. Highly recommend *****

It was a bit difficult to follow at tr he beginning but didn't take long to morph into another fine Grace Draven novel. Loved it. Her characters are so INTERESTING that it makes her books hard to put down. I wonder if we will ever find out the mysterious backstory about the gallas? It would be a fine spinoff....I love how Graces books are stand alone and yet read like they are part of a series. It's a miraculous skill she has, building these complex characters and amazing worlds. I look forward to every one!

Die Storie dreht sich um Servorek Pangion, Markgraf von High Salure und Sha Anhuset, Cousine von Brishen Kashkem. Das Buch ist voller Herausforderungen bis zu Ende und hat sich flüssig gelesen. Schade, dass die Abstände zwischen den Büchern so groß ist, dass man sich erst wieder einlesen muss, aber sie sind es wert!

It must be so hard as an Author to follow up two previous books that were amazing, Grace does this and more. You feel so much of the characters pain, joy, confusion and love - only the most talented Authors can do this. I am in awe of Grace Draven's writing, to have the gift of words that she does. A brilliant end to this amazing series.

This book was not what I expected. It was a great storyline but not in the way of the first 2. Brishens story was more complex and more enjoyable...I guess my expectations were different however the book was enjoyable.