The Cursed King by Abigail Owen
Series: Inferno Rising #4
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Airk Azdajah, the rightful King of the White Clan of dragon shifters, spent half a millennium being tortured by the false High King Pytheios. The only reason he’s alive is a the man who kills Airk will be consumed in his own fire. So Airk was kept alive—barely—and unable to shift in his prison cage, driving the creature half of him into madness. Airk escaped, but he'll never be truly free. Because what good is a king who can never let his feral dragon loose, never fly, and never lead his people?
Angelika Amon is the last unmated phoenix. The problem? She has no powers. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Angelika hates being dormant, especially now that her three sisters are blissfully mated to powerful dragon shifter kings and are very much part of the fight to take down the rotting king Pytheios. What good is a completely powerless phoenix in a battle to save the dragon kingdom?
Desperate to find some way to help, she offers herself to Airk as a mate—just for political leverage. Now a dormant phoenix is mated to a dragon who can't shift. But the balance of power is about to change when Pytheios decides to claim Angelika for himself...
Each book in the Inferno Rising series is
* The Rogue King
* The Blood King
* The Warrior King
* The Cursed King
Other books from this Author The Enforcer
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review
This was my first book in the series, and while it’s clear there’s a rich backstory behind the characters, I was still able to follow along and enjoy the story overall. That said, I do think reading the series in order would add more depth and context to the relationships and world-building.
Airk’s story is intense from the start. After spending 500 years imprisoned and tortured, unable to shift into his dragon, he’s finally free—but far from whole. His dragon is now feral and dangerous, leaving him afraid to fully embrace his power. As the rightful king of the white dragon clan, he should be leading, but instead he faces doubt, fear, and resistance from those around him.
Angelika was a standout for me. As a phoenix shifter without powers, she could have easily been overshadowed, but instead she’s determined, resilient, and refuses to see herself as useless. Her decision to offer herself as Airk’s mate—out of both duty and genuine feelings—sets the stage for a slow-burn romance that builds over time.
Airk’s reluctance was understandable given everything he’s endured, but I’ll admit he was frustrating at times with how often he pushed Angelika away. That said, her persistence and belief in both herself and him really drove the emotional core of the story. Watching them grow closer, despite fear and uncertainty, was one of my favorite parts of the book.
The story balances romance with political tension as Airk works to reclaim his place and gain support for his claim, with Angelika standing beside him. The returning characters from earlier books added another layer, even if I didn’t fully know all of their histories.
Overall, this was an engaging and emotional read with a strong central relationship and a satisfying conclusion to the series. While I enjoyed it as a newcomer, I’d definitely recommend reading the series in order for the full experience.
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