[ARC Review] The Kraken Games by Lilith Stone
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Luna has lived on her wits in the Motham marshes since her sea-faring family were lost at sea after a kraken attack. Now she’s hatched a plan to force the elusive Kraken clan to tell her what really happened to her parents and baby brother. And it all rests on her winning the Kraken Games this year.
Kai didn’t expect to be chosen to compete in the games. Disabled as a youngling after an explosion damaged two of his tentacles, the kraken elders have decided the games need a new look and Kai has what it takes. After years of hoping to compete, Kai is determined nothing will stop him winning the games this year. And certainly not a pint-sized human with a mighty grudge against kraken… even if something about her pulls wildly on his heart strings.
As for Luna, the last thing she needs is to find herself attracted to a kraken, least of all the one she’s determined to bring down…
There was so much more to this story than just a monster romance, and I thought Stone did a wonderful job at balancing Luna and Kai's backstories with their present circumstances and their romantic plot. There was plenty of actual substance in this story; it was far from just spice for spice's sake.
I loved how complex both Luna and Kai were. Luna was seeking answers and retribution from the kraken; Kai, likewise, had his reasons to be distrustful of humans. They were natural enemies with different endgames, but their chemistry sizzled on the page from their very first interaction. I enjoyed their journey before, during, and after the Kraken Games tournament, and truly loved how their lives came together. After spending fifteen years searching, both Kai and Luna were able to find the answers they needed as well as their happily ever after.
Obviously, with Kai's tentacles involved, this was a spicy read. Stone didn't hold back, and this book ended up being a lot faster of a burn than the previous books in this series. I thought the spicy scenes between Luna and Kai were well done; even with tentacles involved, there was too much character development for these scenes to ever come across as over-the-top fan service.
With lots of character development, The Kraken Games turned out to be one of my favorite romances from the Motham City Monsters series so far. Stone really expanded on her plot and spice, and it made for a fun and meaningful read.
[Thank you to the author for providing a review copy via BookSirens. All opinions are my own.]
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Release date: 6/28/24
Format: eARC
eARC provided via: BookSirens
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