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Review

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

4.5 dark, intense and highly emotional stars

I went into this one expecting dark and gritty, and I got it! What I wasn’t expecting was an absolutely beautiful, heart-clenching romance that had me crying with both heartache and over the beauty of it all. Of course I know that Tillie Cole writes emotionally charged stories, and the dark underworld that she has created is evil and terrifying, but the way she is able to blend so much heart into the harshness of her world and the torment of her characters was just amazing. Such a great read, I loved it!

Prisoner 818 is a man with no identity, no history, and no life of his own. Abducted as a teen and taken to the ‘Gulag’, he entered a world where it was kill or be killed. Forced to become a merciless killer, he has risen to become an unbeaten fighter in an underground death match ring, and has lived through hell with only one thought driving him –revenge and bloody death on the one that is responsible for him being there.

Kisa is the Princess of the Russian Mafia. She works for her father and manages his underground fighting ring, The Dungeon. Raised in the life, she is engaged to the heir of their dynasty, a man she has known since childhood, and who has grown to become a crazed and brutal fighter, champion of The Dungeon, and violently possessive over her. She has suffered much throughout her life and still grieves for those she has lost, and though she has resigned herself to her a life where she is kept a virtual prisoner in a gilded cage, helpless at the hands of her sadistic fiancé, she longs for something more.

When 818 escapes his captivity, he is driven by his need for revenge, and his hunt takes him to Brooklyn, where he finally comes face to face with the man he is looking for – the man who just happens to be Kisa’s fiancé, Alik. Seizing his opportunity, he names himself ‘Raze’ and enters the death match tournament where he will finally get the opportunity to kill his enemy. And that, of course, brings him straight into Kisa’s path.

From the moment Kisa and Raze see each other they are drawn to each other in a way that stuns them both. Though Kisa is terrified of the consequences, she is unable to stay away from Raze and he, in return feels emotions for her that he has no idea how to identify or deal with. Their chemistry is electric and their bond is undeniable, and they cannot resist their attraction.

I had never felt this before. Never felt this overwhelming lust, this consuming level of instant attraction… this raw and insatiable need to be with a man. It was dangerous. It was haunting. It was forbidden. And although it was wrong, it felt so perfectly right.

Oh my God, the relationship between these two is incredible. It has so many layers, so much depth to it that there were times that I held my breath while reading. The intensity between them and all that they share together is just amazing, and I lapped up every single moment.

“I’m closing my eyes so I can feel being inside you.” He placed his hand over his heart and rasped out, “I’ve seen too many bad things with these eyes. This, I will feel in my heart.”

The book is written in dual POV which allows us to get up close and personal with both Raze and Kisa, and I loved that! They are both complex characters, and the different sides to them are explored really well. Raze is almost robotic in his violent need for vengeance, but he has an innocence about him that is beautifully endearing and really tugs on the heartstrings. And Kira may appear downtrodden, but she is actually incredibly strong and her huge heart and her belief in herself and her man were just amazing. But they inhabit a dangerous world, and as the story twists and turns all over the place, the story builds up to an epic ending that had me in tears yet again!

“Can I have you?”
“You can have me, solnyshko. You can have all of me. You always have, and you always will.”

*sniff*

Tillie’s writing in this book is just amazing, and she holds nothing back in dragging us deep into the feel of everything that is this book. Be aware that there are scenes of graphic violence, death and sex (not always consensual) in the story which may be disturbing for some readers, but it almost seems necessary to get you to the heart of these characters and all that they go through. And despite the raw harsness of it, I was captivated from the brutal beginning to the gorgeous ending (complete with epilogue!).

There’s so much more to the story, and I could gush on and on, but it’s best to go in and just experience it all without too many details so I won’t say any more. Just know that this is an amazing story that took my breath away with its darkness, intensity and romance. Definitely one that will stick with me, and I’m really looking forward to continuing on with the series.

4.5 stars