Scarred: A Never After Novel: 2

Book was n good condition but I have a feeling like its not an original copy becos f the qualityy of the book but nonetheless it reached without any damages.

I'm so in awe right now. This book has everything. A revenge plot, lots of ANGST, drama and a historical setting...OH and a swoony dark villain who is obsessed with his woman.I believe i found another author To my MUST READ collection

Seriously. Read the book. Tristan Fasaa has gone and jumped to the top list of book characters that i will always remember and never forget their intensity.Sara and Tristan both encompasses madness and devotion in such exciting and adrenaline filled ways that will make the reader hooked (see what I did there),Set in 1900s where the world is stuck between the old ways and seeing the development of new age, a kingdom built on lies, and treachery and verge on a revolution and in amidst that, we see a love story that borders on insane, I guess insane people bring forth the greatest change.Long live the rebel king!

It felt rushed, one more time I feel cheated by bookstagram. I usually like her books but this one isn’t worth the time.

I just finished hooked . It was amazing I just can't wait to read scarred . Ahh I really can't wait. I already know that this is going to be awesome .

Well, this was a dark romance in a true sense. A retelling of Lion King with a twist. Emily McIntire really knows how to keep the readers hooked to the end. If you are looking for sweet and charming romance, this book is not for you. ⚠️This book is dark and twisted and the hero is well..an anti-hero. It contains subject matter which may be triggering for some and may not be suitable for all audiences⚠️Sara B wants to seek revenge for her father’s death and hence she enters into an arranged marriage with King Micheal Faasa with the sole intention to destroy the entire Faasa family. What she does not expect is to fall for the scarred prince Tristan Faasa, brother of King Micheal Faasa. Tristan Faasa is a scarred prince. He was bullied in his childhood by his brother King Micheal. Angered by the way he was treated and struggling to accept the loss of his father, Tristan vows to seek revenge on his brother. However, when he sees Sara B, soon to be married to King Micheal Faasa, he is drawn to her and his plans are threatened.While Emily does make it clear in the beginning that villains are heroes in this series, I found Tristan and Sara 'cold-hearted’ and it was difficult to accept it. I could not empathize with them nor could I understand the reason for their.. lack of empathy! Their callous attitude toward others made me wince and I just could not find in myself to be ok with it. Also, it has been stressed right from the beginning of the book that Micheal Faasa is not deserving of the throne but I failed to understand why. I felt this was a romance of 2 extremely selfish people who cared only about themselves and no one else!The storyline was gripping, I will give you that, however, I just couldn’t find in myself to be ok with the protagonists of this book.Dark, twisted and intriguing read if you don’t mind certain lines being crossed!

I AM OBSESSED WITH THE NEVER AFTER SERIES! Emily is a brilliant and clever mastermind, I'm in giddy awe- there is truly nothing she can't write. Scarred is spectacularly told, creatively inspired, ravenously entertaining, and powerfully emotive- truly pitch perfect storytelling!Emily continues to astound me with her creative prowess and poignant prose. Her stories are immersively poetic- words effortlessly emotive, yet intentionally so. Scarred is simply a creative masterpiece- capturing the magical dark wonderment, artistically evocative edge, and the heartfelt tenderness that made Hooked such a revelation, but yet somehow completely different. Whereas Hooked seduces with it’s taboo edge, Scarred enchants with it’s optimistic royal fairy tale charm, but one far more biting than idyllic. From the first page to the last, I was consumed, captivated, utterly mesmerized by this story. A story that might have a nostalgic and familiar premise- a scarred and prideful prince, spiteful and resentful of his powerful king brother, lurks in the shadow(land), part of a power struggle only one of them knows exists. Sound familiar? Well, the similarities end there- there story is far less hakuna matata, so be prepared. Our “hero” is in fact our villain, and scars run deep.To be clear, this is not a retelling. And, truth be told, it’s so much more than a reimagining.Emily has reconceptualized the fabric of this story entirely- including our hero and heroine. So much so, that I wasn’t even quite sure just what the source material was until a glorious A-HA part way through, when we discover our leading man is so much more than a victim. Every character inspired by the fairy tale has new life breathed into them. Emily gives us just enough referential nods to seduce us with that familiar tingle, only to have the story and characters surprise us in the ways it has been transformed, breathing new life, new energy, new purpose into what was already one of the most powerful stories of all time. The power isn’t diminished- rather it’s enhanced, magnified thanks to the triumphant and inspired way Emily flips this story or it’s head. She asks herself the question some don’t think to ask- just what if there is more to the villain than what we see? What if the story we know is just a matter of perspective? And so Scarred offers something salacious and intriguing- asking us to consider what if the scarred prince isn’t just a power hungry and maniacal megalomaniac, but rather a unapologetically twisted, once bullied revolutionary.The plot is FANTASTIC- suspenseful, twisting, so many agenda and secrets- it’s so damn clever. But our heroine and hero are the true gems of this story. Their tender and raw character arcs are beyond compelling. Tristan, our prince, is deliciously twisted and broken. Like his inspiration, he has a zest and charismatic flippancy, and most certainly he carried his edge and flair maniacal scheming. But Tristan has far more heart, sincerity, and passion than the scarred prince he’s inspired by. Not to mention- he’s SEXY af. And Sara is a revelation- a powerhouse, future queen with a transfixing combination of cunning and vulnerability. Both have been seen only as assets, not truly seen or loved, how ironic that they are first seen by their apparent enemy- each other. The chemistry is FIRE, but the emotional complexity sings. The burn is much slower than I normally prefer (or that I’m used to from EM), but perfect for their journey- these two have a lot to reconcile with themselves before they can give themselves to each other. These are some POWERFUL characters, a trait beautifully juxtaposed to the power that has been robbed of them by others.Emily also treats us to a menagerie of highly memorable and dubious characters and brilliant referentially nods to the source material. This is part of what makes her writing so compelling- how carefully and meticulous she considers the details. The uncle’s riddles and obnoxious cane, the family crest, the secret rebel hideout and their derogatory name, the affable sidekicks, the character names (especially using Sara’s last initial), even the infamous motto of the scarred prince makes an appearance. I can’t stop marveling at the ways in which she integrates these little tidbits.But again, like Hooked, what I found most powerful was how Emily explores the themes that resonated in the source material while giving us a story that flips the original entirely on its head. Class warfare, the corruption of power and the impact of legacy, and the transformative capability of true and genuine love all still sparkle in Scarred. There’s a tenderness and optimism to this story, one that parallels it’s source. Of course, Emily allows her characters, and her story, to exist in a much darker space, for both our hero and heroine to be deeply flawed and grey, but hope is still the most central of all. The hope that TRUE power lies in our choices and in the fabric of our individual identity, in our capacity to love, and that no one can truly take that power away from us. And perhaps there is power in our scars. And the most important power struggle is the one with ourselves.There's a reason Emily McIntire is my go to for inspired and original stories- and Scarred is epitome of everything I love about her writing- it's emotive, it has a point of view, it's thoughtfully penned, it's rich and poignant. There's not a voice out there like hers, and it's why I'll keep reading everything she writes. The last few chapters had me on my toes, and WOW- the ending gives the lauded circle of life reverie we all know and love a run for its money. Its like Emily said “oh, hold my crown”- and then she DELIVERED. Not only in a way that satisfies this story, but one with a deliciously feminist bend. After all the heartbreaking and jaw-dropping moments, the true power lies within our characters. And it is magical. LONG LIVE THE KING!

Read this after reading Hooked and I much preferred this one!Both Tristan and Sara are kind of unhinged and I’m here for it! I do love a murderous vengeful FMC. And the fact both Sara’s and Tristan’s revenge plans messed with each other was very satisfying!The story kept me gripped, although some of it was rather predictable, it was still a nice easy read.Some good dark spice but it’s a bit of a slower burn than Hooked!

Read if you 💛:- enemies to lovers- royalcore aesthetic- slow burn- the lion king (loose references)- forbidden romance- spice 😍😍- dark romance- villain gets the girl"𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦?" 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴. 𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴. "𝘕𝘰." 𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘬𝘴. "𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥."Okay, so I enjoyed Hooked, but I LOVED Scarred. Wow. There were a lot of small references to The Lion King, which was super cool to see. Scarred is not a Lion King retelling, but if you know the story, you’ll see parallels in this book.I’ve recently gotten into dark romance, and whew, let me tell you, it hits differently. These books aren’t for the faint of heart. But if dark romance is your jam, you’ll probably enjoy these books. The idea of the villain getting the girl is fascinating, and the “scarred prince” getting the girl, “Sara B,” was *chef’s kiss*.Tristan did so many horrible things, but you couldn’t help but have a soft spot for him after learning everything he went through. I love books that make you question whether someone is indeed a true villain. While reading this book, I kept thinking, “hmm, maybe this is why people say ‘villains are made.’ “I could not put Scarred down! I loved the dark royalcore vibes, the drama, the plotting, the action, the longing, and the spice. It was a quick read that I didn’t want to end. And there are TWO epilogues. The playlist at the beginning, the dedication, and the story all hit right for me.The only reason I gave this one a 4.5 instead of a 5 is that the resolution of the conflict happened a bit too quickly imo. It was still great overall, though.

I loved this book, until I didn't.Even though it didn't pass PCNC protocol.Even though it was a slow-burn.Even though it's set in the early 1900s.Things I normally hate in books, I let go for this one.And all was going well until I read the epilogue.WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO HAVE "PALE" THIGHS?WHY COULDN'T SHE BE ETHNICALLY AMBIGUOUS?I was planning out my review for this book when I was reading it. I was EXCITED to write about how good it was. I was looking forward to sharing my thoughts.I freaking love Emily McIntire. Hooked was so good, I bought a physical copy! (While on a book buying ban!!!)But this is just another example of white women romance authors not being able to make their MCs BIPOC. Why? Why does Sara have to be white? Why is that the default?I'm sick of dark romance being white-only romance.I was ELATED when, throughout the book, Sara was quite ethnically ambiguous. Raven black hair, no description of "pink" nipples, no mention of "snowy" complexions. Ethnic ambiguity is so rare in dark romance books, never mind actual BIPOC characters.Emily McIntire, I'm disappointed.***EDIT: Apparently her skin is described as pale twice in the book. Once in the epilogue and once in an early chapter. I missed the other one, but I think my point still stands.This book was going to be a favourite for me. A solid four stars. I was IN LOVE with Sara and Tristan. I loved their dynamic.Dark romance authors, please put me out of my misery and start writing books with BIPOC MCs.

Eu não conhecia a autora e nem nunca tinha lido nada assim. Inspirado no vilão e na história do Rei Leão, nosso protagonista Tristan Faasa é o irmão mais novo problemático e rejeitado que quer tomar a coroa do irmão. O príncipe Michael Faasa, que também não é nenhum herói, vai assumir o trono após a morte de seu pai, e precisa se casar para assumir a coroa. E aí que entra Sara, uma pretendente da realeza cujo objetivo é acabar com a família Faasa como vingança.A história é cheia de personagens que escondem suas reais intenções e acontecem muitas traições, mortes e reviravoltas, onde ninguém é inocente ou puro. O Tristan é um personagem intenso, tanto no ódio como no amor, e as cenas do casal são pura tensão e fogo. Eu adorei os diálogos, as interações e os pontos de vistas do casal. A forma como conseguimos pegar elementos do conto do Rei Leão, desde nomes das pessoas, o brasão da família e a referência das hienas serem as pessoas dadas como “defeituosas” que não podem frequentar a sociedade. Eu amei tudo, achei fantástico o desenvolvimento e o final foi maravilhoso. Agora só falta alguma editora trazer pro Brasil😁. Leiam, vale muito a pena amar esse vilão.