This post may contain affiliate links — meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. We carefully curate our affiliate partnerships and only work with companies we like and believe in. Earning commissions like this helps us sustain our blog but the opinions we share are always our own.
The Official Blurb
“He’s a fae king with everything to lose.
She’s the human outlaw who can ruin him.
For three hundred years, the four kingdoms have watched Rogar from afar, anticipating the day he’d succumb to the bloodlust that once ruled his ancestors. Now a human woman has crossed his borders.
Fae law dictates he kill her. But she’s not any human. She’s his fated mate. With their destinies entwined, will Rogar’s fate doom them both? Or will salvation finally bring him the one thing he thought he’d never have. His càirdeil.”
Spoiler Alerts
My Book Review of Fae King’s Temptation
(aka How I Accidentally Got Sucked Into a Fantasy Realm and Maybe Fell for an Orc-Elf Hybrid)
My Romance on the Rocks Podcast Co-Host Meghan Leigh and I decided to go with a Midsummer Night’s Dream/fairy theme for the month of June. For Season 2 Episode 13: We Were Promised Fairy Smut, I picked Fae King’s Temptation by Layla Harper, thinking I was signing up for serious fairy smut and sword-swinging fae action. What I got was a surprisingly wholesome slow burn, a sensitive orc-elf king, and a heroine who swears like the rest of us when a troll ruins her week. (There was plenty of battle action too.)
This is the first book in the Court of Bones and Ash series — there are eight books total and yes, they’re all cliffhanger-y AF. Layla Harper literally opens the book with a note warning you: “If you hate cliffhangers, maybe don’t do this to yourself.” And honestly? Respect. (At least she didn’t Viking’s Chosen me. Refer to Season 1 Episode 1: The Power to Heal to find out how I was taken by surprise.)
Note: Since recording Episode 13, I finished the first four books in the series. Harper created a compilation of them called Of Temptation and Vengeance and it focuses on Rogar and Kyra’s storyline. It’s a good bang for your buck on Apple Books.
My Spiciness Ranking
🌶️ Poblano.
That’s right. We get one kiss and some light grindage.
BUT … by book three, the spice level creeps up near jalapeño. So patience is rewarded!
The Plot in a Sparkly Nutshell
Kyra — 21, poli-sci major, tall drink of clear winter water, part-time bartender, full-time orphan — goes for a jog and ends up in another dimension because why not? She runs past a sketchy magical sculpture exhibit (this is why joggers in horror movies never make it) and boom! She’s in a fae realm.
Not fairy. Fae. And in this world, that umbrella term includes elves, orcs, vampires, brownies, goblins, and probably your weird aunt’s garden gnome.
Within 30 seconds of arriving, Kyra gets a mystery brand carved into her hand (rude), runs into battle-scarred warriors, and meets Rogar — our half-orc/half-elf king, who I imagine looks like Thane from The Kraken’s Sacrifice by Katee Robert (if Thane were less tentacle-y and had fangs).
Let’s Talk Rogar
Now, when you hear “orc,” your brain might go to Lord of the Rings and smell wet cave moss. But Rogar? He’s 500 years of thoughtful daddy energy. Yeah, he’s got fangs. Sure, he goes gray and glowy when he’s in battle mode. But he also asks for consent, makes sure she eats, and probably remembers her birthday.
He’s basically what you’d get if you threw Aragorn, a golden retriever, and an Ikea bookshelf of emotional stability into a blender.
And guess what? He doesn’t immediately tell Kyra that she’s his fated mate — classic miscommunication trope! Because why communicate when you can just simmer with longing? (You should always communicate in a relationship, by the way.)
So What Actually Happens?
Plot-wise, this book is mostly a magical road trip with occasional battles, sexual tension, and a lot of “Don’t die, okay?” vibes. Kyra is being hunted because humans aren’t allowed in fae land, and Rogar decides to help her reach a high queen who can send her back to Earth. Along the way, they meet witches, trolls, and a gaggle of vampire mean girls.
There’s a cool mist that may or may not have feelings. A forest that forgot what the sun is. And a bar drink with egg whites I refused to recreate for the podcast episode because I love myself.
And then — BOOM! — cliffhanger ending. Separation. Magical mayhem. A troll with bad vibes. So, of course, I read the next three books. Because if you know me at all, you know I’m a girl who needs closure. (And I did get it by book four. Hallelujah and, thank you, Layla Harper.)
What I Enjoyed About the Book
- Pronunciation guide. (Bless you, Layla Harper.)
- The map. Nerd bonus unlocked.
- Kyra’s height. Finally, a tall heroine who doesn’t magically shrink in the presence of a tall man-beast and is proportional to the hero.
- Rogar’s size. Yes, we get mention of his “manhood” but it’s refreshingly realistic. He’s not packing a baseball bat. It’s doable. No one’s getting impaled.
- Slow burn > Insta-love. There’s chemistry but also real emotional development. Rogar actually helps her try to get home instead of “claiming” her like some snarling alpha wolf-man in heat.
What Challenged Me About the Book
Rogar, sir, please TELL HER SHE’S YOUR FATED MATE. I’m so tired of watching heroines spiral into emotional crises because the hero decided to practice emotional self-denial for 300 pages.
Final Thoughts
At first, I wasn’t sure if this book was my jam. I wanted more smut, less walking-through-magic-woods. But then I realized: this is a slow burn journey romance with a solid emotional core. Also, I had flashbacks to pre-judging The Viking’s Chosen, and I’m trying not to repeat that mistake. (You can check out the episode here for my thoughts on that one.)
As mentioned, I bought the compilation (books 1–4), and I’m happy to report things did heat up a little. There’s more action, slightly more spice and, yes, more awkward but earnest declarations of magical destiny. I still wouldn’t put this in the “fairy smut” realm but I did thoroughly enjoy the ride. I don’t have plans to read the last four books as they focus on other characters but you may feel differently.
If you enjoy excellent world building and fabulous character development in a fae realm setting, this series is excellently paced and a solid read.
If you want to hear more of my thoughts on the book, you can listen to the podcast episode on your favorite podcast streaming service. Or click here for our in-house podcast player. I share my Romantic Reminder gleaned from Book 1 and you can find out if I won the episode Boobie Prize. Want to read the book for yourself? You can get it here or use one of the links below. Or, just go for the whole compilation volume here. And you can learn more about the author, Layla Harper, here.
Have you read Fae King’s Temptation? Let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments!
