Title: Deviant King
Series: Royal Elite #1
Author: Rina Kent
Genre: Dark Romance
Age Rating: 18+ (dark themes, dub-con elements)
Spice Level: 5/5 (very steamy, explicit scenes)
POV: Single POV (Elsa Quinn)
Cliffhanger: Yes
Published: April 13th 2020
Tropes: Bully Romance, New Adult, Enemies to Lovers, Obsessive/Possessive/Psycho Anti Hero, High School, Angsty, Ice Queen x Bad Boy, Amnesia (heroine), Dub Con, OW Drama
Coming from Legacy of Gods? Read This First!
If you’ve read Rina Kent’s Legacy of Gods series and are here for Aiden King, here’s a quick heads-up:
- Aiden King is the father of Eli King and Creighton King.
- Deviant King is Aiden’s own origin story.
- Aiden is also the son of Jonathan King, whose story appears in the Kingdom Duet.
This trilogy shows how Aiden became that man—before he was a husband or a father.
Deviant King Summary – What Is It About?
Deviant King by Rina Kent is the first book in the Royal Elite series. This book follows Elsa Quinn, a new girl at Royal Elite School, whose arrival immediately draws the attention and hatred of Aiden King, one of the four powerful boys – horsemen – who rule the school.
He leans forward so his mouth hovers inches away from mine and growls. “I will destroy you.”
On her first day, Aiden publicly declares that he intends to ‘destroy her’. From that moment on, Elsa becomes an outcast—bullied, isolated, and watched. What begins as hostility quickly spirals into something darker, more obsessive, and far more dangerous.
Deviant King is packed with suspense, psychological tension, and crazy hot angsty chemistry.
Deviant King Review – My Thoughts
Deviant King is one of the books that made me genuinely enjoy the dark bully romance trope. And when I say I’m obsessed with this trilogy, I mean it—I’ve reread it multiple times, and that alone should tell you something.
I have a love–hate relationship with bully romances. Too many rely on senseless cruelty, weak motivations, or heroines who are marketed as “strong” but never actually live up to it. Those books usually earn a quick one-star from me.
But Deviant King by Rina Kent is different (IMO).
From the moment I read the summary, I knew this book was promising darkness, angst, and a morally questionable hero—and it absolutely delivered. This is bully romance done right.
Before diving deeper, a quick note: this is a dark romance featuring an anti-hero, with scenes that lean into morally grey and potentially uncomfortable territory. Please be mindful of the triggers. If you enjoy darker themes and intense dynamics, this will be right up your alley.
Going into this, I honestly expected a pot of clichés – revenge-driven motives, outcast heroines, and the typical “jerk hero with equally awful friends” dynamic. But this story goes far beyond that.
The plot is gripping and addictive, layered with suspense, emotional tension, and hints of a much deeper mystery. From the very first page, you’re pulled in—you need to know what’s really going on beneath the surface.
I flew through this book in one sitting.
What really kept me invested were the unanswered questions:
- Why does Aiden hate Elsa when they’ve barely met?
- What happened in Elsa’s past?
- What is Aiden really after, and is Elsa just a pawn in his game?
Even without major revelations in this first book, you can feel the tension building toward something explosive in the next installment. You can sense that something bigger is unfolding beneath the surface—especially with Elsa’s past and Aiden’s motives.
I also loved Rina Kent’s writing style. This was my first book by her, and it definitely won’t be my last. The story is written in Elsa’s POV, which adds to the mystery—we’re discovering everything alongside her, navigating Aiden’s darkness, and watching her refuse to bow down despite everything thrown her way.
Elsa Quinn - A Strong, Defiant Heroine
From afar, he looked like a God. Up close, he's nothing more than a monster.
Elsa Quinn is one of my favorite bully-romance heroines.
She suffers from memory loss, a heart condition, and recurring nightmares tied to a past she can’t remember. Quiet and emotionally guarded, she only hangs out with her best friend, Kim – another outcast – and she’s labeled “Frozen” by her peers.
Living with her aunt and uncle, she’s used to blending in the background and hiding her emotions because that makes her feel more in control.
What I love about Elsa is that she never backs down from a challenge. She is defiant, and when Aiden pushes her, she gives him back as good as she can. She is scared of him, but she wants to understand what turned him into a sociopath.
Elsa’s strength isn’t loud—but it’s enough.
Aiden King - An Unhinged Anti-Hero You’ll Love to Hate
“Be mine and you become the queen on my board.” He pauses and flicks his tongue to lick my lower lip. “Fight and you’ll remain a pawn.”
Aiden King is the definition of a morally grey anti-hero.
He doesn’t bully Elsa directly, but he ensures the entire school does it for him. He is cold, calculated, obsessive, and entirely unbothered by rules unless he’s the one making them.
He wants control.
And eventually, he wants Elsa.
Aiden is possessive, manipulative, and unapologetically deviant. His actions often cross into deeply uncomfortable territory, but they’re driven by hidden motives that only begin to surface near the end of the book.
If you’ve read the entire trilogy, you’ll know this: Aiden is a guy you will love to hate initially. But he will redeem himself.
Aiden & Elsa - One of my Fav Couples
My arms wrap around his neck and I graze the hairs at the back of his neck. “It’s crazy, but I choose you, Aiden.”
The chemistry between Aiden King and Elsa Quinn is intense, volatile, and addictive.
Aiden pushes her to the extreme, sometimes crossing into morally grey territory. There’s this animosity between them, and at the same time, an attraction they can’t seem to fight.
Aiden’s an over-the-top alpha male who forces Elsa to do what he says, but there are sweeter moments too. I couldn’t help but root for Aiden. He is funny at times with his dirty messages, but I felt that all his actions – both good and bad – were just driven to get Elsa to be with him.
Their relationship is messy, dark, and emotionally charged.
Deviant King Ending & Series Order
Deviant King ends on a cliffhanger and is part of a trilogy following the same couple.
Royal Elite Series (Aiden & Elsa trilogy):
1. Deviant King
2. Steel Princess
3. Twisted Kingdom
The first book sets the foundation—mystery, obsession, and unanswered questions that explode in the next installments.
Final Thoughts – Is Deviant King Worth Reading?
If you love Dark Bully Romance, an obsessive anti-hero hellbent on getting the girl, Enemies-to-lovers with real tension, and a suspenseful plot, then Deviant King by Rina Kent is absolutely worth reading.
This series is one of my favorites and made my list of the 10 best romance reads of 2020.
Loved Deviant King? Read These Next
If you loved Aiden King’s obsessive, morally grey energy and the intense enemies-to-lovers dynamic with Elsa, there are so many similar books that hit the same vibe—think dark bully romances, possessive anti-heroes, and high angst. I have put together a list of Books Like Deviant King that you may love!
Deviant King FAQs for the Curious Minded
Is Deviant King spicy?
Yes, Deviant King by Rina Kent is a very steamy dark romance with a 5/5 spice level, including explicit scenes and intense chemistry between Aiden and Elsa.
Is Deviant King dual POV or single POV?
Deviant King is written in single POV, told entirely from Elsa Quinn’s perspective.
Does Deviant King have a cliffhanger?
Yes, Deviant King ends on a major cliffhanger and continues in the next book of the Royal Elite series.
Why does Aiden hate Elsa in Deviant King?
Aiden’s hatred toward Elsa is tied to hidden motives and past events that are gradually revealed throughout the trilogy. The first book intentionally keeps this mysterious.
Do Aiden and Elsa end up together?
Yes—but their journey spans across the full trilogy, with significant conflict, growth, and revelations along the way.
Deviant King by Rina Kent Blurb
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.
Deviant King is book one of Royal Elite Series. This is a dark high school bully romance, mature new adult, and contains dubious situations that some readers might find offensive. Aiden isn’t the normal romance hero. In fact, he’s not a hero at ALL. So please don’t read this if any of that bothers you.
Purchase Links
About Rina Kent:
Rina Kent is an international bestselling author of everything enemies to lovers romance.
Darkness is her playground, suspense is her best friend, and twists are her brain’s food. However, she likes to think she’s a romantic at heart in some way, so don’t kill her hopes just yet.
Her heroes are anti-heroes and villains because she was always the weirdo who fell in love with the guys no one roots for. Her books are sprinkled with a touch of mystery, a healthy dose of angst, a pinch of violence, and lots of intense passion.
Rina spends her private days in a peaceful town in North Africa daydreaming about the next plot idea or laughing like an evil mastermind when those ideas come together.
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