A review by elaichipod
Scarred by Emily McIntire

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Starting controversial, but I loved Tristan's character. He felt like a true morally grey protagonist even though in the very beginning I was convinced he was pure evil. Nevertheless, he was alluring and you could tell he had a threatening energy. I loved all his little nicknames for Sara, especially ma petite menteuse. This book does kinks really well! The wax and knife play?? Crazy, but I loved it! In the very beginning, I did not like how rude Sara was. It was off-putting, but when I realized that she was just playing a role it was better. Also, I somehow did not realize this was meant to be a Lion King retelling. 

Her silhouette is gorgeous in the moonlight, and before I can stop myself, I’m reaching out to brush a curl from her face, unable to temper the urge. “You’d make a stunning portrait.”

“I’d like to draw you,” I rephrase, moving in closer, my fingers dancing across her skin. “Just like this, with your face kissing the stars… I think it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Are you calling me beautiful?” she whispers, her eyes wide as she looks my way. My tongue swipes across my lips, and I lean in, my mouth brushing the edge of her ear. “I’m saying you could drive a man insane. Make him raze the world just to see you smile.”

“And what does he do now?” the queen mother continues. The pit in my stomach gapes wider. “Rots in the ground, unfortunately.” A sharp laugh from behind us catches my attention, the sound making my stomach flutter. I twist my head, glancing at Tristan who’s leaning against the door, his black boots crossed at the ankle. I’m not sure why he’s still here, but oddly, I find his presence comforting. Almost as if he’s standing at my back instead of hers.

I bring the mallet down, his loud scream piercing through the air, drowning out the sound of his kneecap shattering. “Yeah.” I scrunch my nose, satisfaction collecting in the base of my spine and trickling outward. “I bet that hurt.” Sighing, I allow the sharp edge on the back of the hammer to skim across the top of his intact bones. “You’re here because you touched something that wasn’t meant for you.” “You’re insane.” Lifting the hammer, I use it to scratch the corner of my forehead. “Speaking of my mental health, I cannot stand leaving things uneven.” His head droops to the side. “It drives me mad.” I rest the blunt edge of the metal against his knee. “Makes me itch. Are you ever like that?”

The jealousy is a sickness, mutating every cell and infecting every organ, until it coats my insides and settles into the marrow of my bones. It makes me feel, once again, that I’m nothing but a lost little boy, stuck in the shadows and watching him hold everything I wish to have.

The tension of being so close yet so far almost kills me, and I swear to God I would give it all up, right now, if she would promise to be mine.

“S-someone could see,” I stutter. “I’ll kill anyone who does.” The words he just said so casually should give me pause, but they don’t. They excite me more. It’s intoxicating to have a man willing to do anything just so he can keep touching you.

“You could burn down the entire kingdom until it’s nothing but charred rubble, and I would crawl over the embers with glee, so long as I could worship at your feet.”

“If something happens, know that I will find you in every lifetime, Sara Beatreaux. You are mine, and not even death can keep you from me.”