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Blurb

ONLY THROUGH BLOOD CAN THE DEEPEST REDEMPTION BE FOUND…

He was born to ascend.

He was destined to lead.
He was never meant to fail.

Prophet Cain lies broken and defeated on the floor of his cell. A cell he has been thrown into by the one person who was supposed to stand by his side until the end. His flesh and blood, his only companion. His beloved twin brother.

Cain has sacrificed everything for his people. He left the safety and security of his life of study to infiltrate the infamous Hades Hangmen. He lived with them, rode with them, and then betrayed them. All in the name of a faith he can now feel slipping away from him. Like everything else he once held dear…

But then his isolation is broken. Another prisoner is brought to the cell next to his. A woman fighting her own demons and fears. A woman who Cain understands needs him, as he needs her.

As the connection between them grows, so does Cain’s resolve. He will right the wrongs he has done. He will atone for the evil acts carried out in his name. He will save the one he loves…

… Even if the battle takes him to the gates of hell itself.

*Contemporary Dark Romance. Contains explicit sexual situations, violence, sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language, and mature topics. Recommended for age 18 years and up.*

 

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Review

“I had been two men in my life. I was beginning to understand that neither of them were real. They were both the ultimate pretenders. Rider pretended to be a Hangman, but always stood on the outside, looking in. Cain pretended he was a prophet, outwardly faking strength, yet drowning in fear underneath. But if both of these men were a ruse, then who the hell was I? Who was the real me?
I had absolutely no idea.”

4.5 brutal, emotionally intense stars

This was always going to be a difficult book to write. Rider’s story is a complicated one, and as a lover of this series I wondered how Tillie Cole was going to pull this one off. But I had absolute faith in her and she totally nailed it! This book was intense, emotional, heartbreaking and romantic, and I loved it! I loved Rider, his journey was beautifully written with a believable love story and the way his story was woven into the ongoing series was fantastic!

Rider is a broken man. His eyes have been opened to the true nature of The Order and he is now questioning everything. He is being held in captivity and subjected to brutal beatings on the orders of his psychotic twin brother, and he has reached his lowest point – completely alone and desperate for freedom from his physical, mental and emotional torment.

It comes from an unexpected source – a woman is thrown into the cell next to his. Like him, Harmony has been through her own hell and is facing an even worse one, and their desperation for comfort leads them to reach out to each other – first with tentative conversation and then with simple yet meaningful touches through the wall that separates them. The impact on them both is profound.

This is what affection was – unbarred, unforced…natural. No coercion. No panic. Just freely given.

For the first time, they are both able to completely open up to another person, to be honest, to revel in the kindness of another person and just feel.

For right now, I would bask in this feel, the comforting arms of this man. Before it was too late.
The only man that had ever shown me such affection and honor.
The pure prophet with the conflicted heart.
A heart I believe could be saved.
Even if mine was already damned.

As the threat of Rider’s brother grows closer by the day, Rider starts to gain strength, finding the resolve he needs to atone for his past and save the people that he cares about. But doing so will mean him revisiting his past and putting himself literally in the hands of the devil. As he and Harmony cling to each other, will they ever be able to find the peace and freedom that they have longed for?

I don’t want to say much more about the storyline without giving away huge spoilers, this is definitely one of those books you just need to dive in and experience, and OMG what an experience it is! Once again Tillie Cold holds nothing back as she drags us into the horrifyingly brutal world she has created. Graphic violence, rape, death, sexual assault, and pedophilia (mention of, no actual scenes), it’s not for the faint-hearted, but it creates a disturbing reality for our characters to exist in and makes the story all the more intense.

Rider’s journey in particular is incredibly emotional. His guilt, suffering, pain and vulnerability are wonderfully written and I could feel everything he was feeling. My heart broke for him over and over again as we see him coming to terms with his past and enduring absolute hell as he fights to find a way out of his personal hell. And Harmony is a wonderful match for him. She is sweet and caring, but she has a spine of steel and her strength floored me more than once as she took Rider’s back unquestionably and was there for him, helping him through his torment.

“I’m not good,” he argued. “I don’t believe that.”
I smiled. Pressing my forehead to his, I said, “Then I will believe it for you.”

They are amazing together and their love is beautiful. It’s innocent and it’s pure, and full of emotion. Their connection is real, and the way they are able to be there for each other and heal each other is just gorgeous.

“I forgive you. I love you. It is time to be free.”
… “I love you too,” I said raggedly. “You have been the only good I’ve ever known. You’ve been the heaven I was searching for after all. Not the faith, or the prayers…just you…only you.”

This book is a huge game changer in terms of the series. There are twists and turns and some pretty big developments, and of course the Hangmen are all along for the ride. The story is written in multiple-POV, including some chapters from Styx’s perspective, and I loved that we got his side of the story – not just to catch up with him and Mae (which was gorgeous), but also to see his take on the story as it unfolded. It’s a total clusterfuck – as I knew it would be – but it’s intense and amazing and I couldn’t put my kindle down.

I really loved this book. As always, Tillie Cole completely sucked me in, and the emotional intensity that she poured into this story was absolutely sensational. I was hooked from start to finish, and I can’t wait for more from this series with AK’s book up next.

4.5 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.

 

Hades Hangmen Series 

 

For similar reads, check out our Dark & Edgy Recommendations

And for more books by this author, see our Tillie Cole Author Spotlight page

 

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About the Author

 Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.

Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.

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