Deviant King by Rina Kent Review: The Plot Ate, But the Romance? GIRL…

“It’s because of you I’m labelled a slut. It’s because of you no one approaches me.” “And no one will.” He’s at my face, so close that we breathe each other’s air.

“Do you know why, sweetheart?”

“Why?” I murmur.

“Because you were always mine. You just didn’t know it yet.”

As I mentioned in my previous review, I decided to dive into the Rinaverse from the very beginning. And while the first book left me intrigued and excited to continue, Deviant King honestly had me QUESTIONING MY LIFE CHOICES. 😭 Like, girl, WHAT DID YOU GET YOURSELF INTO?!

I’m not even exaggerating when I say I genuinely considered DNFing this book. The first few chapters pushed me WAY beyond my comfort zone and had me seriously questioning my own limits. At one point, I literally thought to myself, “Well, if I managed to get through Haunting Adeline, surely I can handle this, right?” LMAO. 😂

And the funniest part? NO ONE WAS FORCING ME TO READ IT! I could’ve simply closed the book and moved on with my life. BUT NOOO, because apparently, my curiosity was stronger than my discomfort. 😭 I was genuinely so intrigued by the story and desperate to know where it was going that I decided to push through and keep reading.

Summary of Deviant King by Rina Kent

The villain isn’t supposed to be king

I have a simple plan.

Finish Royal Elite School and get into my dream university.

One glance from the school’s king blows my plan up in smoke.

One glance and he suffocates my air.

One glance and he issues his death sentence.

His first words spiral my life into irreparable chaos.

“I will destroy you.”

Everything about Aiden King is black.

Black mind.

Black heart.

Black soul.

I should’ve remained quiet and endured the time I have left.

I didn’t.

I made the irrevocable mistake of provoking the king on his throne.

The devil in his hell.

And now, I’ll pay the price.

Being hated by Aiden King is dangerous.

But being wanted by him is lethal.

Review of Deviant King by Rina Kent

And let me tell you, for a book that tested my limits THIS MUCH, Deviant King somehow managed to keep me turning the pages. If the plot hadn’t been so intriguing, I would’ve DNFed it without a second thought. BUT THAT CLIFFHANGER?! EXCUSE ME?! 😭 I was literally GASPING and downloading the next book immediately because WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE LEAVING ME LIKE THIS?! THE AUDACITY! 💀😂

Now, don’t let my desperation for answers fool you into thinking I loved everything about this book. I gave it 3 stars, and BELIEVE ME, THERE ARE REASONS! So, let’s get into what worked for me, what didn’t, and why this book managed to keep me invested despite pushing me so far outside my comfort zone. 👀📖

Plot Analysis of Deviant King by Rina Kent

So, imagine this: You’re Elsa, a girl who’s already been through enough in life after losing both your parents in a fire and ending up living with your aunt and uncle. Now, you’re starting your first day at Royal Elite School, a prestigious private school for the ridiculously rich and privileged. Because apparently, regular rich people aren’t good enough for this place. 🙄

Things seem to be going pretty well when you meet Kim, the school’s outcast, who quickly becomes your friend and offers to show you around. Sounds like a decent start, right? WELL, DON’T GET TOO COMFORTABLE! 😭

Because while you’re watching the football team, you suddenly lock eyes with a boy whose chilling stormy stare could probably send anyone running in the opposite direction. And before you can even ask who he is, Kim is already dragging you away, warning you that he’s Aiden King, the most powerful and popular boy in school.

BUT GUESS WHAT? TOO LATE!

Because apparently, making eye contact with the wrong boy is enough to ruin your entire day. Before you even have time to process what’s happening, Aiden has you pinned against a wall, his hand around your throat, and greets you with the lovely words:

“I will destroy you.”

Characters of Deviant King by Rina Kent

Elsa Quinn: I actually LOVED Elsa’s character at first! Considering all the shit she was going through, I thought she was pretty strong, and I was genuinely rooting for her. Like, YES, GIRL, DON’T LET THEM WALK ALL OVER YOU! 💅

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, as the story progressed, her character started giving me some serious whiplash. 😭 Because WHAT DO YOU MEAN the girl I was rooting for suddenly turned into a complete doormat?! I went from cheering her on to wanting to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. LIKE, WHAT THE HECK, GIRL?! STAND THE HELL UP! 😩💀

Aiden King: AIDEN IS MY BIGGEST HEAR ME OUT!! 😭💀 But listen, we need to talk about something because I have THINGS TO SAY!

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT! ⚠️

Let’s be honest here. HE LITERALLY ASSAULTED HER in the first few chapters of the book! YES, HE DID THAT! Let’s not sugarcoat it or pretend otherwise just because he’s our morally questionable MMC. And I’m sorry, but THAT is where I draw the line. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT, SIR! I’m not Elsa, bro! 😭🙄

And yet, fortunately or unfortunately, the mystery surrounding the characters and the story kept me intrigued enough to continue reading. I’m not going to lie, his character development was actually good, and I could appreciate the way his arc unfolded. BUT does that mean I’ve forgiven him? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Sorry, not sorry, but apparently, I have a black heart when it comes to these things. LMAO. 🖤💀

The romance: I’m going to be honest, I was NOT rooting for these two! 😭 After what Aiden did, I was just sitting there like, EW, NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I know this is a bully dark romance, and trust me, I KNOW what I signed up for, but GIRL, LET’S NOT PUSH IT! 💀🙄

BUT, if we pretend for a second that THAT never happened (and believe me, that’s a BIG IF), I have to admit there were some genuinely cute moments between them that had me SWOONING. And honestly, THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT SO FRUSTRATING! 😭 Because part of me could see the appeal of their romance, but the other part just couldn’t get past what happened.

So, for now, I’m still not completely sold on them as a couple, but I’m hoping that will change as I continue the series. WE SHALL SEE! 👀❤️‍🔥

Pacing & writing style

The writing in Deviant King by Rina Kent is actually pretty good. I honestly have nothing to complain about when it comes to the writing style itself. It’s easy to read, easy to follow, and somehow, I keep finding myself reading WAY faster than usual. And can we talk about the plots this woman comes up with?! Because MA’AM, THE AUDACITY! They’re so unpredictable and full of twists that I just keep turning the pages like, YES, QUEEN, GIVE ME MORE! 💅😭

Now, does it get a little cringey at times? ABSOLUTELY! But then again, we’re dealing with high schoolers, so OF COURSE I’m going to cringe every now and then. And don’t even get me started on Aiden, who, just like Levi before him, acts like some 40-year-old mafia boss running a criminal empire. Like, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE GOING TO DESTROY HER?! YOU’RE 17! BOY, CALM DOWN! MY SON, PLEASE, CALM DOWN! 😭💀

BUT here’s where things get complicated for me. What really bothered me about this book was the dub-con aspect. I genuinely feel like Rina Kent was playing with that VERY fine line between dubious consent and outright sexual assault. AND YES, I KNOW IT’S DARK ROMANCE! DON’T YELL AT ME! 😭 I know what I’m getting myself into, and I’m perfectly aware that morally grey characters aren’t supposed to be saints. BUT MA’AM, LET’S NOT PUSH IT TOO FAR! Because this time, that line wasn’t just blurred. SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ Aiden literally assaulted Elsa while she repeatedly said NO. And I’m sorry, but that’s where I draw the line.

And THAT is what frustrated me the most! Because how am I supposed to root for a romance when I’m still stuck on THAT scene?! 😭 Listen, I love my morally grey, obsessed, and completely unhinged fictional men as much as the next dark romance reader, BUT EVEN I HAVE MY LIMITS! And this time? Yeah, it was just TOO MUCH for me. Sorry, not sorry! 🙃

SO, if we pretend for a second that none of that ever happened (WHICH IS A LOT TO ASK, BELIEVE ME! 😭), I have to admit that the plot unfolding throughout this trilogy is INSANELY intriguing. THE MYSTERY WAS MYSTERYING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! 👀 I was so desperate for answers that I genuinely couldn’t put the book down. And the side characters?! SO ENTERTAINING! I’m already invested in them and can’t wait to dive into their stories.

And THAT is exactly where my 3-star rating comes from. Not because I loved everything about this book, and certainly not because I’m willing to overlook the things that made me uncomfortable, but because the mystery, the plot, and the side characters genuinely kept me invested. Without those elements? OH, TRUST ME, this would’ve been an easy DNF or a 1-star read. NO HESITATION! 😭💀

The pacing in Deviant King was actually pretty good! Despite all the issues I had with this book, I still found myself completely engaged and flipping through the pages like there was no tomorrow. 😭📖

My only complaint? I wish the smut had come a little later in the story. I mean, MA’AM, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A TRILOGY HERE! 😭 Couldn’t we have taken our sweet time building up the tension and letting that enemies-to-lovers dynamic simmer a little longer? I wanted MORE tension, MORE hatred, MORE of that delicious back-and-forth before things started heating up. LIKE, CAN WE AT LEAST ENJOY THE ENEMIES PART BEFORE JUMPING TO THE LOVERS?! 😂

BUT WELL! Apart from that, the pacing kept me hooked, and I can’t really complain about a book that managed to keep me turning the pages despite everything that bothered me. 🙃

Tropes and Trigger warnings of Deviant King by Rina Kent

Tropes of Deviant King by Rina Kent

• Bully Romance
• Enemies to lovers
• Boy obsessed
• High school setting

Trigger warnings of Deviant King by Rina Kent

• Dub-con
• Sexual assault
• Death of a parent (off-page)
• Bullying
• Body shaming

Final Thought

Well, Deviant King was certainly an EXPERIENCE, and I’m still not sure how I feel about everything I just read. 😭😂 I went into this book expecting an intense bully romance, but MA’AM, I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR ALL OF THAT! It genuinely pushed me beyond my comfort zone, and there were moments when I questioned why I was still reading. AND YET, HERE WE ARE!

I think what frustrates me the most is that this book had SO MUCH going for it. The writing was engaging, the pacing was good, the mystery had me HOOKED, and the side characters made me even more excited to explore the Rinaverse. BUT the romance? That’s where things went downhill for me. As much as I could appreciate certain moments between Elsa and Aiden, I just couldn’t get past what happened in those first chapters. And honestly, I don’t think I should have to overlook something that made me genuinely uncomfortable just to enjoy a fictional couple. 🙃

So, 3 stars feels like a fair rating. And believe me, those stars are mostly for the plot, the mystery, and the fact that Rina Kent somehow managed to keep me invested in a story I was THIS CLOSE to DNFing. 😭 Because without those elements? GIRL, WE WOULDN’T EVEN BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION! 💀

Now, am I excited to continue the trilogy? ABSOLUTELY! Am I still holding a grudge against Aiden? YOU BET I AM! 😂 I’m genuinely curious to see how everything unfolds, and I’m hoping the next books will make me appreciate the romance a little more. But one thing is certain: Rina Kent knows how to write a mystery that makes you NEED answers, even when you’re seriously questioning your reading choices.

And THAT CLIFFHANGER?! The fact that I went from considering DNFing this book to immediately downloading the next one says everything about the emotional roller coaster I just went through. LIKE, MA’AM, CAN I HAVE A MOMENT OF PEACE?! 😭💀

Anyway, ON TO THE NEXT BOOK! Apparently, I haven’t suffered enough. LMAO. ❤️‍🔥

About the author

Rina Kent is a New York Times, USA Today, and #1 bestselling author of all things dark romance.

Better known for writing unapologetic anti-heroes and villains, Rina weaves tales of characters you shouldn’t fall for but inevitably do. Her stories are laced with a touch of darkness, a splash of angst, and just the right amount of unhealthy intensity.

When she’s not busy plotting mayhem for her ever-expanding Rinaverse, she leads a private life in London, travels, and pampers her cats in true Cat Lady fashion.

Practical Information for Readers

Deviant King by Rina Kent Book Formats

Deviant King is available in various formats to suit every reader’s preference:

• Paperback: Ideal for readers who enjoy the tactile experience of holding a physical book.
• eBook: Convenient for on-the-go reading, available on all major e-reader platforms.
• Audiobook: Narrated with emotional depth, available on platforms like Audible.
• PDF Deviant King : While some may search for a PDF version, it’s recommended to opt for legal eBook options to support the author.

Where to find Deviant King by Rina Kent PDF

1. Amazon Kindle: Offers a user-friendly interface with customizable reading settings.
2. Barnes & Noble Nook: Another popular platform with a wide selection of e-books.
3. Apple Books: Provides seamless integration with Apple devices and a smooth reading experience.

Deviant King by Rina Kent Age Rating

I would personally recommend Deviant King by Rina Kent to readers 20 years old and up. While the series is set in high school and the characters are only 17–18 years old, PLEASE don’t let that fool you into thinking this is your typical high school romance.

The story is MUCH darker than the previous book, and honestly, some scenes made me genuinely uncomfortable. And I’m saying this as someone in her 30s! 😭 If certain scenes managed to make ME uncomfortable, I can only imagine how they might affect younger readers.

So PLEASE, I’m BEGGING YOU, check the trigger warnings before diving in! Just because the characters are teenagers doesn’t mean the content is suitable for teenage readers. ⚠️❤️