King of Ruin
The Wicked Wonderland Duet #2
by Lee Jacquot
Published April 25, 2022
★★★★☆
After the startling cliffhanger ending from their previous story, we return to Onyx and Ezekiel. Secrets have been exposed and what was a torrid affair has become a battle for dominance. With her dynasty hanging in the balance, choices must be made and family must come together to see an end to the chaos.
Can Ember escape her predicament and come out of top in the fight over Seattle? Or will she break under the weight of the truth of Ezekiel's past… and their future?
This was a thrilling end to The Wicked Wonderland Duet. I've truly enjoyed the time I've spent with Onyx and Ezekiel, as well as the rest of the cast in this dark mafia duology. Lee is always a pleasure to read... in more than one way!
I read the first book Queen of Madness right at the end of 2021 and you can find my review for that book HERE.
Where Queen of Madness built the underworld of Seattle, outlining the tension and disputes between the mafia families, King of Ruin dives right into the action as the intricacies of the events from the first book unfold. As always with books rooted in dark mafia and criminal families, please be aware of triggers as you continue their story.
Onyx is wary - she feels as through she's been betrayed by the man she placed her full trust in. Her found-family has been broken and she is at the mercy of the Irish mafia. There is amazing character development as she tries to hold onto her fiery independence despite Ezekiel's betrayal and her ultimate captivity.
It was interesting to see the power play between the two key characters. Both continue their fight for dominance - as well as their own inner battle to not acknowledge the feelings and desires that could jeopardize their positions.
Again, this book uses multiple POVs - mainly Onyx and Ezekiel - but also a scattering of the Embros group and Ezekiel's sister. Flashbacks are used to gain context on Ezekiel's history and, like a puzzle, the reader is able to piece together his motivations: Some known, and some a surprise. It provides a great depth to the situation, as well as helps the reader gain insight on what's happening outside of Onyx's situation and the aftermath of the first book.
The spice in this one continues to live up to Lee's set standards. Where the first book is about the fight for control and dominance, this one takes a bit more of a sweet approach as different angles of their relationship comes to light, and the power structure has shifted. Dare I say there could've been more spice? Yes, but that's almost a guarantee for me as a woman coming into her "prime", if you know what I mean.
The subtle nods to Alice in Wonderland ran throughout, and Lee did an amazing job at entwining small plot points in book one, and even a the beginning of this one, and as they came together at the big reveal, I was honestly floored!
Though I'm sad to see this duology come to an end, there has been a teaser to a novella in the same universe - and perhaps more coming from the amazingly dark mind of the author. Stay tuned!!
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