4.3 (7,360 ratings)

The Death King: Death, Book 1

Name: The Death King: Death, Book 1
Rating: 4.3 (7360 reviews)
Author: Penelope Barsetti
ISBN: B0D84BZKGD

by Penelope Barsetti

demons

About this book

Ten years ago, the Death King descended upon Scorpion Valley with a black dragon and an army of the dead, destroying everything I held dear. While he spared my life that night, my existence since has been a brutal cycle of enslavement in the Arid Sands under the lecherous gaze of General Titan. I lived for the day I could finally break free, but I never expected my escape attempt to land me directly in the path of the monster who ruined my life.

When I try to steal his dragon, I discover a terrifying secret: I possess the rare, forbidden ability to communicate with these ancient beasts. Khazmuda, the Death King’s dragon, finds me worthy, forcing the man in black armor to spare me once again. Now trapped within the walls of his dark castle, I am a pawn in a game I don't understand, serving a king who has no idea that the slave he claimed is the daughter of the man he slaughtered.

This dark, high-stakes paranormal romance is a masterclass in tension and second-chance dynamics. Penelope Barsetti weaves a gripping tale of enemies-to-lovers intrigue, where the lines between vengeance and desire blur with every page. If you crave intense world-building, scorching spice, and complex, morally gray characters, this is the addictive fantasy series you have been waiting for.

Publication Date: May 25, 2026
ASIN: B0D84BZKGD

Reader Reviews

What a start!!! Love it!

August 30, 2024

adventurous, dark, emotional, tense, medium-paced Plot- or character-driven? Plot Strong character development? N/A Loveable characters? It's complicated Diverse cast of characters? Yes Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes Rating: 4.75 The Queen of cliffhangers strikes again; I can't wait for book 2 to be released!! I am vested in the outcome of this story. This new dark fantasy romance series has started with fire! Calista witnessed her father's death at the 'hands' of the Death King; for...

Solid 4.5

September 4, 2024

Even tho I wanted to absolutely smash the FMC at the end of the book. Granted, because I’m here reading so I can see or envision things differently but holy smokes! The story is good, really good, and I’ll be eager to see how these two dance in the next book. There were a few editing kerfuffles (a scene where his shirt is described in some detail only to state in the next sentence “he was shirtless…” There’s also the small matter, if you read Barsetti books, “his big d*ck” “his fat d*ck” And...

Of course this was even better than I was expecting!

September 2, 2024

I've been craving another Penelope Barsetti fantasy read since I finished the Dirty Blood series. If you've read that series, you already know you'll love this. No one does spice like her! Typically I read fantasy with less spice and I find it tiresome after the first couple encounters. But Penelope writes it so well it's impossible to get tired of it. The build up is as good as the reward! She still writes a killer story to boot! The characters and world in this story are fully fleshed out....

Smut rather than Fantasy

November 28, 2024

Please check book trigger warnings! Interesting dark book. I don’t know how I feel about it honestly. Was is the best writing and book I’ve ever read, no. But did I read the whole thing in a day, yes. The story is not really a romance maybe there will be more of that in the next book. It was very easy to read and more conversational than world building or internal monologue. I would say 3/4 of the book is just the MMC trying to sleep with the MFC. Which was weird and creepy and problematic but...

WOW!! Great read and excited to read the completed series!!

July 27, 2025

This is my first time reading this author and I had been waiting for the series to be completed with all five books. I'm so thankful that I started the series because the first book has really drawn me in. I'm enjoying the storyline, the World building and the enemies to friends \\ lovers plot. I love when a book is so well written that it grabs my attention and I just have a total escapism and want to spend the day reading. This book definitely checks all my boxes and I would highly recommend...