Book Review: King of Envy by Ana Huang
If you’re the type who enjoys watching emotionally stunted billionaires self-destruct over women they can’t have, welcome. You’re home.
Obsessive alpha who communicates via deadly glares and hands
Beauty and the Beast, but make it silent and Serbian
Low on plot, high on pining
Ana Huang’s signature universe crossovers
Vuk: This man is obsessed. He’s intense, reserved, terrifying to everyone except Ayana, and it’s hot. He’s the best part of this book, hands down.
Ayana: She is a supermodel. She has a functional family and no tragic past. She is..... okay. (I mean, there is nothing really special about her character. But I like her.)
ASL Representation: It’s rare to see a love interest who uses sign language and has chosen silence as a trauma response.
The crossovers: If you’re a fan of the Twisted and Kings of Sin series, the cameos here were chef’s kiss. They actually made sense, unlike some other shared universes (cough Dark Verse's Syndicator). Kai and Dante especially stole every scene they were in.
Pacing issues: The first half is decent, but around 70% in, it just... drags. Characters start keeping secrets for the sake of “tension,” but we all know what’s going on. That “if we just talked this would be over” energy was frustrating.
The plot: Barely there. If you read the blurb, you already know the entire trajectory. No shockers, no big twist, just a long, slow emotional spiral.
Vuk being Cristian Harper, just mute edition: Obsessive, protective, emotionally constipated billionaire? Yeah, we’ve seen this man before. Vuk felt like Cristian 2.0—but this time with a tragic backstory and no spoken words. Same vibes, less dialogue.
🎀 Spoiler Zone (because we’re being real):
Ayana’s fiancé? A placeholder with zero depth. We all knew he was getting dumped.
The sex scenes? Worth the wait, but maybe a bit too delayed. When it finally happens, it hits—but girl, we were starving.
We get a spicy little setup for Maya and Sebastian—which I will be seated for.
Is it the best-written thing out there? Nah. But did I eat it up like it was my last meal? Hell yes.
The moment Vuk finally breaks (you’ll know it when it hits)
Would I recommend it? Yep.
Will you scream at the characters for being emotionally constipated? Oh, absolutely.
Will you love every second anyway? Without question.
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