Think twice if…
- Content warnings: Kidnapping, Captivity, Attempted sexual assault, Sexual assault (referenced), Violence, Graphic violence, Murder, Death of a parent, Torture, Trauma, Sexual content
The Forsaken King
by Penelope Barsetti
Book 1 in Forsaken
Dark fantasy revenge romance with a captor-captive setup that earns its tension and ends on a knife edge.
goodreads 4.12/5 7,112 ratings
storykind_community 4/5 1 rating
Quick fit
Is this story right for you?
A decision-first view of the reading experience.
Length339 pages
Series statusOngoing series
Spice4/5 · Rough / primal
PacingFast
Story profile
What the story promises
The strongest reviewed signals about romance, fantasy, and the reading experience.
Romance promise
- Enemies to lovers
- Male/female pairing (M/F)
- Slow burn
- High
- Rough / primal
- Tension finally satisfied
Show more
- Dark/tortured soul
- Captor/captive
- Possessive / claiming
- Feral brain activated
- Morally gray
- Morally gray love interest (LI)
- Passionate / intense
- Addictive read
- Possessive alpha
- Obsessive love interest
- Tension / anticipation
- Book hangover incoming
- Warrior/fighter
- Possessive love interest
- Dirty talk heavy
- Anti-hero
- Love/hate tension
- Wall pinning
- Predator x prey
- Marking hickeys
- Rough but consensual
- Jealous/possessive during intimacy
- Growling / possessive sounds
- Possessive
- Claiming
- Marking
- Rough/aggressive intimacy
- Size difference
Fantasy promise
- Fantasy romance
- Captive romance
- Castle / fortress
- High fantasy
- Humans only
- Kidnapped by the hero
Show more
- Underground / underworld
- Low fantasy / secret magic
- Revenge romance
- Royal court / palace
- Dark romance
- Forbidden love
- Forced proximity
Reading experience
- Dual POV
- Fast
- Dark
- Intense
- Heavy
- Royalty
Show more
- Fast-paced
- Snarky/sarcastic
- Tense
- Punchy
- General badass
- Angsty
- Dramatic
- Fallen noble / disgraced heir
- Feral
- Edgy
- Dangerous
- Brooding
- Revenge arc
- Bargain with consequences
- Cliffhanger warning
- No one is safe
- Addictive pacing
- Morally complex
- Battle of wills
Similar stories
Similar in ways that matter
Matched by the most important shared story signals, with the tradeoffs made explicit.
265 pages Completed
Crave to Conquer
Zoey Ellis
Similar because
Fantasy romance · Snarky/sarcastic · General badass
Different because
Spice is higher (5/5 vs 4/5).
635 pages Completed
Caged by Fallen Crows: Part One
Ava Larksen
Similar because
Royalty · Snarky/sarcastic · Tension / anticipation
Different because
Spice is lower (3/5 vs 4/5). Medium pacing rather than Fast.
352 pages Completed
Beg The Night
Emily Blackwood
Similar because
Warrior/fighter · Underground / underworld · Snarky/sarcastic
Book details
- Length
- 339 pages
- Publisher
- Hartwick Publishing
- Language
- English
- Format
- Book