I absolutely loved Lahn. To me, there is nothing better than a dominant alpha who turns into such a protective, loving mate. He did things I didn't love, but he also watched, and learned, and adapted. His love for his golden queen makes this an epic love story. As gory as this story is, as cruel as its warrior king hero could be, this is one of the best of KA’s romances, in my opinion. The language barrier, the cultural and moral differences… so much stood in the way of The Warrior King Lahn and his Golden Queen Circe getting their happily ever after. But they knew what they had, what they could have, and they ached for it, reached for it, bled for it... and when they finally got it, it was a beautiful, amazing thing. I did not finish this book due to personal reasons. Because there is no disclaimer at the beginning of the book, I feel the need to let potential readers know about some of the content within the story. If you are sensitive to rape and/or repeated scenes of forced seduction, which, in my opinion, is a glorified term for rape. You might want to read this book with caution. It’s a legacy that feels like some amalgam of Isiah Thomas, Jason Kidd and Gary Payton – the latter two of whom Paul would love to emulate, with their late-stage, career-topping titles for unfamiliar new teams. It's weird cause it's so different from everything I've read, especially the savage part, but still :)))

Having said that, this book might not be for everyone. There are moments in here that were very tough to stomach; violence, rape, forced seduction. You have to take into perspective that this is written in a land that is MUCH different, it's primitive, it's savage, brutal, and unlike anything you can imagine. You have to be prepared to go out of your comfort zone to truly enjoy this book. This is just one of those KA books that will wring a multitude of emotions from you. There are 3 scenes here that never fail to hit me right in the feels. The Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley is the story of Circe, a modern woman from Seattle, who wakes up in a parallel universe. She is upon waking subjected to a so called wife hunt, rape and forced into marriage. The story continues of the main characters' struggle to overcome their many differences and Circe’s struggle to accept this new world of the Korwahk and her new warrior husband Lahn. First off, in my opinion, such a relationship never has a chance. Never mind the way he treats her, but there is literally a world of differences between the two and it's just not realistic that their relationship can ever work out. But that is beside the point, as this is about how the romance is depicted the book. Lahn told me that when he claimed me, even in the moonlight, he saw my spirit shining in my eyes and it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. To me, he was raping me. To him, he was receiving a gift he’d treasure always. This is a contradiction that it is difficult to come to terms with and although it does not heal the pain we felt, a memory seared into our brains, the terror we experienced, I cannot say it does not provide just enough balm to allow me to live with it.”

I'm gonna try something new and write my review as I go along reading the book. I feel like this will be one of those books I have "revelations" about as I read along that won't be satisfied with just my stat updates. And also, it's a freaking LONG book! But I promised Princess N I'd read all of it and not skip so I will keep that promise IF SHE WILL DO THE SAME! (You know what I'm talking about P2)

Apart from an elusive NBA title, Paul has hardly anything left to prove in the NBA, while owning one of the most fascinating resumes in recent league history. Only time will tell, of course. At worst, Paul’s presence offers premium regular season protection and insurance in the event of a prolonged Curry absence – and another consistent end-of-game closer who can create and orchestrate alone or alongside Steph in what looks to be a fun and fast-twitch two-man game of their own, all in theory helping keep each other fresh for 82 games, and beyond.Even with the beginning of this story having some scenes that I would normally abhor in my romance novel, I also understood that it's a realistic depiction of what would have been in a time like this, in a place like this, with people like this. It also provided real character growth opportunities that you do get to see developed. That being said, there are triggers in this book. But this is completely contradicted later on in the book, when we learn that they do indeed know the difference between consensual sex and rape. So, while they see nothing wrong with raping women, it’s an entirely different story when it’s a man being raped: And second, a woman is here conditioning another woman to assume the responsibility of a man's sexuality and of controlling his behavior. I don't even have to point out how wrong it is, to make a woman assume such a responsibility. And that is my biggest issue with the book: That a modern woman could EVER accept these inexcusable and intolerable violations against humanity as the new social norm JUST because “it is their way”. Bain and Zahnin, two of Circe's personal guards. Oahsee, Bain's wife. Sabine, Zahnin's wife. Zahnin is Lahn's closest lieutenant.