Laura Thalassa

The story of how a Fae King meets his soulmate in this alternate POV novella from bestselling author Laura Thalassa.

The Emperor of Evening Stars (The Bargainers Book 2.5)

In the beginning, there was darkness. Before he met Callie, before he became the Bargainer, there was Desmond Flynn, the bastard son of a scribe. A boy born to a weak mother, cursed with little magic, and destined to marry a slave. But fate had something else in mind. Till darkness dies. From the barren caves of Arestys to the palace of Somnia to the streets of earth, this is how Desmond Flynn, a fairy who began with nothing, became the Emperor of Evening Stars. ***This is a roughly 200 page novella told from Desmond Flynn's perspective.***

The Emperor of Evening Stars

Isla

Shay Lynn Crace

MMC’s recount pov of the first 2 books. I love reading from the other point of view and it gave some backstory on an otherwise very mysterious character, but ultimately more of a novella and did not do much to add to the story. Excited to start the last book and pick back up where book 2 left off. 

Daisy Gosnell

Short stories that jump through time from Des’s POV. I LOVED Learning things of him that he’s yet to share with Callie. He’s such a simp and I’m all for it!!! These types of shorter books always feel like dessert 🧁 

Anna

Katie Avila

Ah, some good fae dynamics in this one. I loved seeing Des’s perspective  

Kristen Savage

"It’s loving Callie’s heart and mind over her face and body. I didn’t even realize that those three words people throw around so casually were created to explain this deep and unending emotion. Dear gods, I love her." 

Stranded 

"It’s loving Callie’s heart and mind over her face and body. I didn’t even realize that those three words people throw around so casually were created to explain this deep and unending emotion. Dear gods, I love her." 

-Desmond Flynn, King of the Night

(Bre)anne✨

A great way to do a prequel and a different pov to the series 🫶🏻

Ann Helen Moen

A great novella! I'm so happy we got Des's backstory and his side of things for the first two books. This was a fun read and was an awesome first read of the year.

Jasmine

4.5 Stars
Incredible!! I really loved getting a good look into Des's backstory. Especially, his earlier friendship with Malakai. Dark Harmony is one of my top most anticipated reads for 2018 and I will gladly read anything I can about these characters until it's release. Ahh I just need it so bad, this wait is killing me!

Allison Garrett

Much better than the previous book and I enjoyed Des' backstory, but it would be better if we learned about it through him telling Callie.

Hargun Kaur

The first half was interesting but the second half felt very repetitive and broken. As if she was forcing herself to write something as a filler and to keep us interested for next book. But the stories about Desmond's past were beautiful although they could have been told in a better way

Liz Marie

omg! i need the next book asap!! **heavy breathing intensifies**

Brianna Brown

Spoilers.... ish.
I loved this addition to the series and it was so fun and interesting to learn Desmond's back story. 
I will say, listing this as book 2.5 is perfect as it would need to be read between 2 and 3 or you will be spoiled on some major plot points. 
HOWEVER, if you only read this series for the ✨spicy✨ scenes, you can just skip this one. It is really not spicy at all, at least not in the way that the other books are, and just revisits events from the first two books from Des's POV. Yes you also get the "prequel" of it, but most of that can be pieced together from the first two books as well.

Gemma

The series so far from Des' POV; it was alright except I thought this was book 3 oops.

Joleen

I absolutely did not want a novella, I wanted the third book. But I am so glad I got the novella. It did feel very rushed, but that is a novella. I wanted more stories of Des but I will gladly take what I can get. His history was heartbreaking and it truly does show you why he is the way he is. Read this series you will love the King of the Night as much as me.

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

4.5 STARS

“Love costs even more than power, even more than revenge or hate.”

Laura Thalassa has given me exactly what I didn’t know I needed in the Bargainer series. I have loved Callie and Desmond and their story from the very first page, but after reading The Emperor of Evening Stars, I’ve come to love them even more – Des especially. This novella (which is a pretty decent length) is told entirely in Des’s POV, from his very beginnings in the Caverns of Arestys, to his rise in becoming the King of Night, and finally, his love story with his soulmate. If you’re a fan of the series, this companion novella is a must read.

I loved everything about this novella. We learn about Des’s past, which is heartbreaking, and about his quest for revenge against his father. But what I was really dying for was the moment Des would meet Callie, his soulmate and love of his life. When he first learns that his soulmate is human – mortal – he is appalled and not too keen on her. But after experiencing loss after loss, he realizes that he’ll do anything to find the woman who will stand by him and love him. So he does.

I swear to the Undying Gods that once I’m able to, I will scour the earth for me soulmate. I’ll put my past behind me and focus on the future. And when I find her—if I find her—I won’t waste time fearing what others will think. I’ll cherish her, respect her, love her.
For all the days of her mortal life, I’ll claim her as mine.

Getting Des’s POV about his first meeting with Callie, how he fell in love with her, how he withstood being without her, was perfect. If you didn’t love him in the first two books, you will definitely fall head over heels in love with him in his novella. He has been such an enigmatic character throughout the series in Callie’s POV, but we get so much insight in how he thinks and feels. The wait for the third and final Bargainer has gotten just the tiniest bit easier thanks to this novella. And I’m hoping we get a few more chapters in Des’s POV in Dark Harmony!

Can’t she tell that she brings me to my knees? Morning, evening, and night, she’s always right there in every beat of my heart. That sweet voice of hers sings through my veins. It calls to me across worlds. Everything she is, is mine, and everything I am is hers. Always.

Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/2ybGWbz

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Ashlee

4.5

I’m not satisfied with this at all... because I just want MORE. This novella completely from Des’s POV was so good and quite enlightening, I found myself disappointed as I neared the end as I wasn’t ready to leave his mind quite so soon. And it’s a clever and wicked mind at that. 


  ”I stare at each one of their faces, and this is the moment where we all realize that the boy they thought I was, was a mirage. That this entire time they’ve been the field mice and I’ve been the viper lying in the grass.”


The story begins with Des’s childhood on Arestys and as it progresses we get a front-row seat on his path to becoming the Night King. Throughout this portion of the story we get some insight into the circumstances of his father’s demise and some foreshadowing of some circumstances that presented themselves in the second novel. 


  ”All those evenings she watched me leave her, those are the illusion. Because the truth is, I have searched worlds for her, looked for her for centuries. I’ve held her a thousand times in my dreams, and I have died a thousand times upon waking.”


About halfway through the story Des has his first encounter with Callie and most of the story is a retelling of scenes we have already experienced through Callie. This was the heart of the story for me. The inner torment and anguish he experiences in his search and during his encounters with her were heartbreaking, despite knowing what the future holds for them at this point. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the way his mind battled with his heart through these chapters and really felt how deep the well of his love for her runs. 

The story ends right about where the second book, A Strange Hymn ends, so if you’re hoping for more past that, this novella will not give it to you. What it will give to you is feels and a desire to continue the story the moment it ends. 

I find that this series is one of those underrated ones you want to share with everyone that asks. It’s my guilty pleasure. It’s not innocent in the least and there’s something eerily mischievous and sinful about it. I picked up the first book, Rhapsodic, based upon several recommendations when I found myself with a massive book hangover after having just read Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass series’. This series was exactly what I needed to awaken myself again and I am almost certain I’m going to find myself with a book hangover when it eventually ends as well. I’m so looking forward to the third book, Dark Harmony, to be released this winter!

Solange Bello

The book is honestly 3 stars but I'm giving it another one because I really enjoyed reading form Desmond's point of view. 

Also because I didn't cringe at all in this one lol 

I really do love the series but just an advisory its in no way perfect and there are literally grammar errors but I'm not extremely picky about it. 

This is a series you read for fun, its not that serious lol

The Emperor of Evening Stars (The Bargainers Book 2.5)

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