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Scarred Souls #3
Ravage
Is finding one's true love worth committing the greatest sacrifice of all?
Taken as a teen, prisoner 194 was stripped of his name and freewill, meticulously honed to be a ruthless machine. Even as he tries to fight his captors hold on him he knows that obedience is the only way to save his sister, who is the one person that keeps him from turning into a monster.
As a young girl Zoya Kostava barely escaped the brutal attack that killed her entire family. Now twenty five she lives in secrecy. That is until she hears her brother also survived and is living with their greatest enemy.
Zoya risks her safety and anonymity to find the brother she thought dead and is captured by a beautiful, brutal man. A man who both captivates and scares her, in him she sees a soul as lost as her own.
They both have so much to lose will they be able to save each other…and survive.
Taken as a teen, prisoner 194 was stripped of his name and freewill, meticulously honed to be a ruthless machine. Even as he tries to fight his captors hold on him he knows that obedience is the only way to save his sister, who is the one person that keeps him from turning into a monster.
As a young girl Zoya Kostava barely escaped the brutal attack that killed her entire family. Now twenty five she lives in secrecy. That is until she hears her brother also survived and is living with their greatest enemy.
Zoya risks her safety and anonymity to find the brother she thought dead and is captured by a beautiful, brutal man. A man who both captivates and scares her, in him she sees a soul as lost as her own.
They both have so much to lose will they be able to save each other…and survive.
334 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 2016
About the author
Tillie Cole
53 books24.2k followersAmazon & USA Today Best Selling Author, Tillie Cole, is a Northern girl through and through. She originates from a place called Teesside on that little but awesomely sunny (okay I exaggerate) Isle called Great Britain. She was brought up surrounded by her English rose mother -- a farmer's daughter, her crazy Scottish father, a savagely sarcastic sister and a multitude of rescue animals and horses.
Being a scary blend of Scottish and English, Tillie embraces both cultures; her English heritage through her love of HP sauce and freshly made Yorkshire Puddings, and her Scottish which is mostly demonstrated by her frighteningly foul-mouthed episodes of pure rage and her much loved dirty jokes.
Having been born and raised as a Teesside Smoggie, Tillie, at age nineteen, moved forty miles north to the 'Toon', Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where she attended Newcastle University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Religious Studies. She returned two years later to complete a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching High School Social Studies. Tillie, regards Newcastle to be a home from home and enjoyed the Newcastle Geordie way of life for seven 'proper mint' and 'lush' years.
One summers day, after finishing reading her thousandth book on her much loved and treasured Kindle, Tillie turned to her husband and declared, "D'you know, I have a great idea for a story. I could write a book." Several months later, after repeating the same tired line at the close of another completed story, she was scolded by her husband to shut up talking about writing a novel and "just bloody do it!" For the first time in eleven years, Tillie actually took his advice (he is still trying to get over the shock) and immediately set off on a crazy journey, delving deep into her fertile imagination.
Tillie, ever since, has written from the heart. She combines her passion for anything camp and glittery with her love of humour and dark brooding men (most often muscled and tattooed – they’re her weakness!). She also has a serious side (believe it or not!) and loves to immerse herself in the complex study of World Religions, History and Cultural Studies and creates fantasy stories that enable her to thread serious issues and topics into her writing -- yep, there's more to this girl than profanity and sparkles!
After six years of teaching high school Social Studies and following her Professional Rugby Player husband around Europe, they have finally given up their nomadic way of life and settled in Calgary, Alberta where Tillie spends most of her days (and many a late night) lost in a writing euphoria or pursuing a dazzling career as a barrel-racing, tasselled-chap wearing, Stetson-sporting cowgirl... Ye-haw!
Being a scary blend of Scottish and English, Tillie embraces both cultures; her English heritage through her love of HP sauce and freshly made Yorkshire Puddings, and her Scottish which is mostly demonstrated by her frighteningly foul-mouthed episodes of pure rage and her much loved dirty jokes.
Having been born and raised as a Teesside Smoggie, Tillie, at age nineteen, moved forty miles north to the 'Toon', Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where she attended Newcastle University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Religious Studies. She returned two years later to complete a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching High School Social Studies. Tillie, regards Newcastle to be a home from home and enjoyed the Newcastle Geordie way of life for seven 'proper mint' and 'lush' years.
One summers day, after finishing reading her thousandth book on her much loved and treasured Kindle, Tillie turned to her husband and declared, "D'you know, I have a great idea for a story. I could write a book." Several months later, after repeating the same tired line at the close of another completed story, she was scolded by her husband to shut up talking about writing a novel and "just bloody do it!" For the first time in eleven years, Tillie actually took his advice (he is still trying to get over the shock) and immediately set off on a crazy journey, delving deep into her fertile imagination.
Tillie, ever since, has written from the heart. She combines her passion for anything camp and glittery with her love of humour and dark brooding men (most often muscled and tattooed – they’re her weakness!). She also has a serious side (believe it or not!) and loves to immerse herself in the complex study of World Religions, History and Cultural Studies and creates fantasy stories that enable her to thread serious issues and topics into her writing -- yep, there's more to this girl than profanity and sparkles!
After six years of teaching high school Social Studies and following her Professional Rugby Player husband around Europe, they have finally given up their nomadic way of life and settled in Calgary, Alberta where Tillie spends most of her days (and many a late night) lost in a writing euphoria or pursuing a dazzling career as a barrel-racing, tasselled-chap wearing, Stetson-sporting cowgirl... Ye-haw!
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July 10, 2020
4.5 stars
There is something about Tillie Cole’s writing that hits the spot for me every single time. This series has the best broken characters and a fantastic story line that is unique from all the books I normally read. I read this book from cover to cover and loved every single second. The feels, the healing, the love and the sacrifice. It was so beautiful.
194 was taken by Jakhua as a young teen, pumped full of drugs and made into a killing machine, much like our other heroes in the Scarred Souls series. But 194 is a little different. No matter how many drugs they pump through him, he never loses sight of who he is and what his purpose is. He remembers his name. He knows his little sister, who is 152, is depending on him to save her. So he’ll bide his time and kill for them until he can find a way to save her.
Everything changes for 194 when he captures a Georgian woman. He doesn’t know her name, all he knows is that she is connected to his target so he must find that connection and use it to kill. He has been trained to hate Georgian’s so he is more surprised than anyone when this woman makes him feel something.
Zoya Kostava was thought dead by almost everyone. When her family was massacred in Georgia when she was just a small child, somehow, she made it out alive. Ever since then, she’s been waiting until she can find her brothers that were taken. She’s held on to hope that her Zaal and Anri are alive. When she finds that Zaal is, she can’t wait a second longer to see him. So she goes to him. That’s when she is taken and tortured for information by a Russian scarred man. This man is scary at first, but the more time Zoya spends with him, the more she realizes he truly is just a broken soul like her.
All the heroes in the Scarred Souls series have had it rough, but maybe none quite so bad as 194. 194, or Valentin, has not only endured what the other men have, but he’s had to watch his sister be used and abused knowing there is little he can do to help her. This broke my heart for him. Any bad he’s ever done has been to protect her. And when he finally started feeling for Zoya, it put him in the worst place possible. He now had two women he was trying to protect.
I loved Zoya’s strength and determination. So many times she was put to the test and always did the right thing. She wasn’t in the easiest spot either, on one hand, there is this man she’s completely fallen for who is the enemy, on the other, there is her brother who she’s been separated from for many years. Neither of these characters had an easy choice to make. Being together was not easy for them. But I admired the fact that they did it anyway. They really were perfect for one another.
This book isn’t an easy read. It’s highly emotional and has some disturbing parts. It’s not a light and happy book, but it is an exceptional read about two broken souls coming together and finding solace in one another. I love all things written by Tillie Cole, but there is something about this series that is so special to me. This book brought me to tears more than once and after finding out who the next book will be about- I’m on pins and needles waiting for it!
There is something about Tillie Cole’s writing that hits the spot for me every single time. This series has the best broken characters and a fantastic story line that is unique from all the books I normally read. I read this book from cover to cover and loved every single second. The feels, the healing, the love and the sacrifice. It was so beautiful.
194 was taken by Jakhua as a young teen, pumped full of drugs and made into a killing machine, much like our other heroes in the Scarred Souls series. But 194 is a little different. No matter how many drugs they pump through him, he never loses sight of who he is and what his purpose is. He remembers his name. He knows his little sister, who is 152, is depending on him to save her. So he’ll bide his time and kill for them until he can find a way to save her.
As the years passed, I became a ghost in the night. I became the deliverer of death. I was torture. I was pain. I was the fucking nightmare none one ever saw coming… until it was too late.
Everything changes for 194 when he captures a Georgian woman. He doesn’t know her name, all he knows is that she is connected to his target so he must find that connection and use it to kill. He has been trained to hate Georgian’s so he is more surprised than anyone when this woman makes him feel something.
Zoya Kostava was thought dead by almost everyone. When her family was massacred in Georgia when she was just a small child, somehow, she made it out alive. Ever since then, she’s been waiting until she can find her brothers that were taken. She’s held on to hope that her Zaal and Anri are alive. When she finds that Zaal is, she can’t wait a second longer to see him. So she goes to him. That’s when she is taken and tortured for information by a Russian scarred man. This man is scary at first, but the more time Zoya spends with him, the more she realizes he truly is just a broken soul like her.
I knew his life had been as impossible as mine. Knew he wasn’t truly as evil as he seemed. He was just like my Anri and Zaal. Like me. Broken.Nothing hits my love buttons in books more than two broken characters defying all odds and finding the strength to be together. As you can probably tell, Zoya and 194 haven’t had easy lives. In fact, they’ve been pretty terrible. Especially 194. He’s never been shown any kind of love or affection by anyone except his little sister who’s been lost to him for many years. When someone like Zoya shows him this love, he’s not sure what to think.
All the heroes in the Scarred Souls series have had it rough, but maybe none quite so bad as 194. 194, or Valentin, has not only endured what the other men have, but he’s had to watch his sister be used and abused knowing there is little he can do to help her. This broke my heart for him. Any bad he’s ever done has been to protect her. And when he finally started feeling for Zoya, it put him in the worst place possible. He now had two women he was trying to protect.
I loved Zoya’s strength and determination. So many times she was put to the test and always did the right thing. She wasn’t in the easiest spot either, on one hand, there is this man she’s completely fallen for who is the enemy, on the other, there is her brother who she’s been separated from for many years. Neither of these characters had an easy choice to make. Being together was not easy for them. But I admired the fact that they did it anyway. They really were perfect for one another.
This book isn’t an easy read. It’s highly emotional and has some disturbing parts. It’s not a light and happy book, but it is an exceptional read about two broken souls coming together and finding solace in one another. I love all things written by Tillie Cole, but there is something about this series that is so special to me. This book brought me to tears more than once and after finding out who the next book will be about- I’m on pins and needles waiting for it!
Everything, I thought. This man had become my everything.
February 9, 2017
3.5 Stars!!
This one was another great, thrilling read by Tillie Cole. After reading the previous installment in the series I was more than excited to read 'Ravage', Zoya’s story (Zaal’s little sister, the male main character from the previous book). This installment is as dark, gritty and intense as the others and while I didn’t love it as much as the other books in the series, I enjoyed it very much. It made me cringe, it kept me at the edge of my seat and most of it made me fall in love with the two damaged main characters. 'Ravage' was brutal and gut-wrenching at times, but it also was hopeful and emotional and I really enjoyed how Tillie Cole mixed everything together.
Abducted as a child by the Jakhua Clan ‘194’, Valentin was drugged, abused in every single way and trained to be a killing machine. When he kills he gets relief in some way, but that doesn’t mean he likes what he does. 194 is different from the other men like him, the drugs pumped on him only work temporarily, so he’s not 100% obedient. But he must fake it since he has one important reason, to protect his little sister who like him is a prisoner. 194’s last target is Zaal Kostova. In order to get any kind of information about his target, he kidnaps Zoya, Zaal’s sister. He doesn’t know who she is to Zaal, but he knows they are connected somehow.
Zoya Kostova was thought dead almost by everyone since her parents were killed and her brothers kidnapped. She always hoped her brothers are still alive somehow and even if all this time she stayed hidden she tried to find them. She’s looking forward to meet Zaal when she finds out he’s alive, but everything changes for her when she is taken by a huge, scarred and muscled man. She is tortured for information, at first being scared for her life and for Zaal’s life, but as time passes she realizes her captor is just like her, broken. Everything changes when they start to feel things for each other they shouldn’t be feeling.
Tillie Cole delivered one thrilling, intense read that held me captive the entire time. I love her writing style and I enjoyed very much the mafia/suspenseful aspect. IMO the pace of the story was perfect for a raw an gritty read.
Valentin and Zoya were two broken characters I sympathize with from the beginning. Their backgrounds were well done and really heartbreaking. I loved the way Valentin was portrayed. At times it wasn’t easy to read his story. I love a broken hero, but I have to say my heart really broke for this tormented soul who lost himself (almost all of him) over the years. His love for his sister and also his devotion and protectiveness were really heart-warming. The way he struggled with his feelings for his captive felt realistic to me. If at first he’s cold towards Zoya, wanting so badly to hate her, as the story unfolds he empathize with her, starting to care about her more than he thought he would care for someone.
I loved Zoya’s strength and determination. She was strong and brave not only because she tried so hard to protect her brother’s identity, but also because she tried to make Valentin realize that he’s human, that she is just like him. I loved how gradually she showed Valentin that he can be loved and the way she accepted him, all of him...simply wonderful!
What didn’t work for me as much as I would have liked was the relationship between these two characters and the romantic aspect. Don’t get me wrong, I loved how they were with each other and everything and of course how they healed each other (the idea), but IMO the transition from captor/captive to lovers was a little rushed. So while the suspense aspect was perfection IMO, the romantic one was a little…or more…underdeveloped. And that’s why I guess, I didn’t connect too much with them as a couple.
That being said, I liked this one and I’m looking forward to read the next installment in the series!
This one was another great, thrilling read by Tillie Cole. After reading the previous installment in the series I was more than excited to read 'Ravage', Zoya’s story (Zaal’s little sister, the male main character from the previous book). This installment is as dark, gritty and intense as the others and while I didn’t love it as much as the other books in the series, I enjoyed it very much. It made me cringe, it kept me at the edge of my seat and most of it made me fall in love with the two damaged main characters. 'Ravage' was brutal and gut-wrenching at times, but it also was hopeful and emotional and I really enjoyed how Tillie Cole mixed everything together.
“I’m not only scarred on the outside, Kotyonok; I’m scarred on the inside: my mind, my heart, and my soul…… I am your Tbilisi monster…”
Abducted as a child by the Jakhua Clan ‘194’, Valentin was drugged, abused in every single way and trained to be a killing machine. When he kills he gets relief in some way, but that doesn’t mean he likes what he does. 194 is different from the other men like him, the drugs pumped on him only work temporarily, so he’s not 100% obedient. But he must fake it since he has one important reason, to protect his little sister who like him is a prisoner. 194’s last target is Zaal Kostova. In order to get any kind of information about his target, he kidnaps Zoya, Zaal’s sister. He doesn’t know who she is to Zaal, but he knows they are connected somehow.
Zoya Kostova was thought dead almost by everyone since her parents were killed and her brothers kidnapped. She always hoped her brothers are still alive somehow and even if all this time she stayed hidden she tried to find them. She’s looking forward to meet Zaal when she finds out he’s alive, but everything changes for her when she is taken by a huge, scarred and muscled man. She is tortured for information, at first being scared for her life and for Zaal’s life, but as time passes she realizes her captor is just like her, broken. Everything changes when they start to feel things for each other they shouldn’t be feeling.
“I knew his life had been as impossible as mine. Knew he wasn’t truly as evil as he seemed. He was just like my Anri and Zaal. Like me. Broken.”
Tillie Cole delivered one thrilling, intense read that held me captive the entire time. I love her writing style and I enjoyed very much the mafia/suspenseful aspect. IMO the pace of the story was perfect for a raw an gritty read.
Valentin and Zoya were two broken characters I sympathize with from the beginning. Their backgrounds were well done and really heartbreaking. I loved the way Valentin was portrayed. At times it wasn’t easy to read his story. I love a broken hero, but I have to say my heart really broke for this tormented soul who lost himself (almost all of him) over the years. His love for his sister and also his devotion and protectiveness were really heart-warming. The way he struggled with his feelings for his captive felt realistic to me. If at first he’s cold towards Zoya, wanting so badly to hate her, as the story unfolds he empathize with her, starting to care about her more than he thought he would care for someone.
“She didn’t lie. She looked at my fucked-up face and didn’t lie. She thought me beautiful. No one ever looked beyond my scars. I was Mistress’s ugly beast, a killer, nothing more.”
I loved Zoya’s strength and determination. She was strong and brave not only because she tried so hard to protect her brother’s identity, but also because she tried to make Valentin realize that he’s human, that she is just like him. I loved how gradually she showed Valentin that he can be loved and the way she accepted him, all of him...simply wonderful!
What didn’t work for me as much as I would have liked was the relationship between these two characters and the romantic aspect. Don’t get me wrong, I loved how they were with each other and everything and of course how they healed each other (the idea), but IMO the transition from captor/captive to lovers was a little rushed. So while the suspense aspect was perfection IMO, the romantic one was a little…or more…underdeveloped. And that’s why I guess, I didn’t connect too much with them as a couple.
That being said, I liked this one and I’m looking forward to read the next installment in the series!
August 26, 2016
Dark, Gritty And Captivating
I love this series! Despite the similarities between the books in this series, Tillie Cole continues to hold my attention with these rough around the edges, tortured heroes. The third book in the series, 'Ravage' introduces fans to, yet another, captive male and the woman that breaks through his intimidating veneer. I am 100% hooked on this series!
Valentin, aka "194", was stolen as a young boy from an orphanage. Along with his younger sister, he was taken as a slave and subjected to unimaginable horrors. Trained to be a ruthless assassin, Valentin is forced to carry out the orders of his mistress, or his sister will pay the price. Although he hasn't seen her, in person, in years, he still holds out hope that he'll be able to rescue her from their hell one day.
Zoya has spent years in hiding, on the run from the criminal group that murdered her entire family, leaving her for dead as a child. She is overwhelmed with joy upon hearing that her beloved brother, Zaal, is alive and well. Nervous to see him after all these years, she lurks outside his home trying to get the nerve to go to the door and announce herself.
Before she gets the chance, she is taken. Valentin spots Zoya hanging around the outside of Zaal's home and knows that she is important to his latest target. He plans to use Zoya to gain information about Zaal, by any means necessary. His sister's fate is on the line.
Despite the brutality of his treatment of her, Zoya soon finds herself softening toward her scarred captor. It is apparent that he is not in control of himself, the mysterious collar around his neck somehow triggering his rages. In spite of her situation, she falls for Valentin.
In so many ways, this book is just like it's predecessors. Drugged, enslaved male. Beautiful, "untouchable" female. Interconnected organized crime families. There are a lot of commonalities here...but it works. Who cares if the books are very similar, as long as they're good, right?
I loved every minute of this story. I could not put it down and found myself thinking about it long after I'd read the last page. Thankfully, there will be more books to come in this series. Hopefully, I won't have to wait too long to get my next fix.
There are some darker scenes. After all, Valentin did torture Zoya to try and get information about Zaal. This may be a problem if you're strongly opposed to stories with dark content. Personally, this was exactly the type of story I love. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
I love this series! Despite the similarities between the books in this series, Tillie Cole continues to hold my attention with these rough around the edges, tortured heroes. The third book in the series, 'Ravage' introduces fans to, yet another, captive male and the woman that breaks through his intimidating veneer. I am 100% hooked on this series!
Valentin, aka "194", was stolen as a young boy from an orphanage. Along with his younger sister, he was taken as a slave and subjected to unimaginable horrors. Trained to be a ruthless assassin, Valentin is forced to carry out the orders of his mistress, or his sister will pay the price. Although he hasn't seen her, in person, in years, he still holds out hope that he'll be able to rescue her from their hell one day.
Zoya has spent years in hiding, on the run from the criminal group that murdered her entire family, leaving her for dead as a child. She is overwhelmed with joy upon hearing that her beloved brother, Zaal, is alive and well. Nervous to see him after all these years, she lurks outside his home trying to get the nerve to go to the door and announce herself.
Before she gets the chance, she is taken. Valentin spots Zoya hanging around the outside of Zaal's home and knows that she is important to his latest target. He plans to use Zoya to gain information about Zaal, by any means necessary. His sister's fate is on the line.
Despite the brutality of his treatment of her, Zoya soon finds herself softening toward her scarred captor. It is apparent that he is not in control of himself, the mysterious collar around his neck somehow triggering his rages. In spite of her situation, she falls for Valentin.
In so many ways, this book is just like it's predecessors. Drugged, enslaved male. Beautiful, "untouchable" female. Interconnected organized crime families. There are a lot of commonalities here...but it works. Who cares if the books are very similar, as long as they're good, right?
I loved every minute of this story. I could not put it down and found myself thinking about it long after I'd read the last page. Thankfully, there will be more books to come in this series. Hopefully, I won't have to wait too long to get my next fix.
There are some darker scenes. After all, Valentin did torture Zoya to try and get information about Zaal. This may be a problem if you're strongly opposed to stories with dark content. Personally, this was exactly the type of story I love. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
February 21, 2017
4 - 4.5 Stars
All I can say is:
FINALLY.
I finally got a hit with this series.
I just didn't connect with number one or two as much as I thought I would, which always surprised me being that Tillie Cole and this ish are right up my dark spank bank alley.
Something was always just missing for me, but I stuck with it because I just had faith in Cole.
This book proved me right.
I would do an actual legit review, but the Riot ARC is staring at me in the face and I cannot deny its magnetic draw.
Diving in.
Find me at:
All I can say is:
FINALLY.
I finally got a hit with this series.
I just didn't connect with number one or two as much as I thought I would, which always surprised me being that Tillie Cole and this ish are right up my dark spank bank alley.
Something was always just missing for me, but I stuck with it because I just had faith in Cole.
This book proved me right.
I would do an actual legit review, but the Riot ARC is staring at me in the face and I cannot deny its magnetic draw.
Diving in.
Find me at:
August 19, 2016
*****FIVE STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
The female wrapped herself around my heart like a warm blanket. It beat with the hope, with the surreal feeling, that she knew what it felt like to be me. She knew loss and grief.
She too harbored a scarred soul.
Fans of The Scarred Souls series will not be disappointed with this latest installment. I honestly have to say that this series keeps getting better with each new story. I love them all but this series is seriously vying to be my fave by Ms. Tillie Cole. The characters are complex, broken, and ultimately so beautiful. Every story has had me on pins and needles and at the same time, completely captivated. I normally have a hard time staying up at night but I couldn’t help but stay awake while reading RAVAGE because I was beyond engrossed in this one.
REAP left us with a doozy of a cliffhanger. We knew that Zaal’s beloved little sister that he thought had been killed many years ago with the rest of his family, was actually alive. She also believed that her entire family had been killed and that she was the only remaining member of the Kostava clan. Zoya and Zaal had a very close and special bond when they were younger and suffered deeply when they both believed each other had died during the massacre. Upon learning that Zaal was alive and living in Brooklyn, Zoya recklessly decides to go out alone in search of her brother and ends up being kidnapped by an assassin who was sent to kill Zaal.
194 ‘aka’ Valentin, is just like Luka and Zaal. He was kidnapped at a very young age by the Jakhua. Valentin was tortured, beaten, and raped on a daily basis and shot up with experimental drugs, all so that he could be conditioned to become the ultimate killing machine. His little sister Inessa was kidnapped along with him and the Jakhua Mistress used his love for his sister to keep Valentin her obedient slave. She made sure to slash up his face so that he would be unattractive and feared by everyone.
During Zoya’s first days of captivity, she is subjected to cruel and severe torture tactics at the hands of Valentin, but she is one fierce young woman. She never gives up the information that Valentin is seeking and this makes him respect Zoya. As you can guess they will begin to develop real feelings for each other and their carnal nature takes over rather quickly. I might have been wiping the drool from my mouth because, holy hell, were these two on fire!! But at the same time, you feel the love developing between them. Valentin has a hard time grasping that Zoya truly loves him since he’s never received affection from anyone before. But Zoya sees beyond the scars and into the man’s soul. She knows what lies beneath the mangled exterior is a beautiful man who was meant to be her true other half.
There’s quite a bit of action and of course, the couple will face some very big obstacles. They’ve got the evil Jakhua Mistress to contend with and when things get extremely precarious, Valentin must work together with the last person he ever thought he would be allies with. Can the couple defeat their common enemy or will they be torn apart forever?
RAVAGE is available now. I highly recommend this entire series. Be sure to one-click.
AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/2biG1uc
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
The female wrapped herself around my heart like a warm blanket. It beat with the hope, with the surreal feeling, that she knew what it felt like to be me. She knew loss and grief.
She too harbored a scarred soul.
Fans of The Scarred Souls series will not be disappointed with this latest installment. I honestly have to say that this series keeps getting better with each new story. I love them all but this series is seriously vying to be my fave by Ms. Tillie Cole. The characters are complex, broken, and ultimately so beautiful. Every story has had me on pins and needles and at the same time, completely captivated. I normally have a hard time staying up at night but I couldn’t help but stay awake while reading RAVAGE because I was beyond engrossed in this one.
REAP left us with a doozy of a cliffhanger. We knew that Zaal’s beloved little sister that he thought had been killed many years ago with the rest of his family, was actually alive. She also believed that her entire family had been killed and that she was the only remaining member of the Kostava clan. Zoya and Zaal had a very close and special bond when they were younger and suffered deeply when they both believed each other had died during the massacre. Upon learning that Zaal was alive and living in Brooklyn, Zoya recklessly decides to go out alone in search of her brother and ends up being kidnapped by an assassin who was sent to kill Zaal.
194 ‘aka’ Valentin, is just like Luka and Zaal. He was kidnapped at a very young age by the Jakhua. Valentin was tortured, beaten, and raped on a daily basis and shot up with experimental drugs, all so that he could be conditioned to become the ultimate killing machine. His little sister Inessa was kidnapped along with him and the Jakhua Mistress used his love for his sister to keep Valentin her obedient slave. She made sure to slash up his face so that he would be unattractive and feared by everyone.
During Zoya’s first days of captivity, she is subjected to cruel and severe torture tactics at the hands of Valentin, but she is one fierce young woman. She never gives up the information that Valentin is seeking and this makes him respect Zoya. As you can guess they will begin to develop real feelings for each other and their carnal nature takes over rather quickly. I might have been wiping the drool from my mouth because, holy hell, were these two on fire!! But at the same time, you feel the love developing between them. Valentin has a hard time grasping that Zoya truly loves him since he’s never received affection from anyone before. But Zoya sees beyond the scars and into the man’s soul. She knows what lies beneath the mangled exterior is a beautiful man who was meant to be her true other half.
There’s quite a bit of action and of course, the couple will face some very big obstacles. They’ve got the evil Jakhua Mistress to contend with and when things get extremely precarious, Valentin must work together with the last person he ever thought he would be allies with. Can the couple defeat their common enemy or will they be torn apart forever?
RAVAGE is available now. I highly recommend this entire series. Be sure to one-click.
AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/2biG1uc
September 14, 2020
This series is definitely on the dark end of the spectrum and the story of 194/Valentin and Zoya really tests those boundaries. They meet when 194 kidnaps Zoya as she is about to be reunited with her long lost brother. If you have read the series in the past, you might remember that the Bratva, who brand and drug men to fight under the influence of forced obedience, has many "monsters" under their wings. 194 is one of these. He is kept in line with drugs and a threat to someone he loves. It is by those influences that he takes Zoya. He is not merciful to her in the beginning. He does what he was taught to do. It's difficult to get through some of those parts. You really can't help but sympathize and admire Zoya. Then something sparks between them and the situation starts to change. Them final coming together is both a physical and emotional experience. While I enjoyed the story enough to finish it in the wee hours of the morning and in one sitting, I didn't feel the connection in the way I did with the first two books. Still, I will happily devour the next story in the series as the author has proven time and time again that she can suck us into this complicated world she has created. Safety: H is compelled by drugs to have relations with a OW but this happens before he and the h get together. No OM/sharing. Yes to rape and the way it's depicted can be a trigger. Yes to abuse.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
July 9, 2016
** 5 “We both have scars.” STARS **
He watched me, his breathing heavy and strained, when I whispered, “You have stolen my first kiss.”
(...)
“And you have stolen mine.”
Well...this wasn't an easy story to read, that's for sure. There are certain aspects that some readers won't feel comfortable with. Certain things said, and done... Certain things Zoya had to endure...but as always, I would advise everyone to read for themselves, and see if they're okay with them or not.
“Kotyonok, I am your Tbilisi monster…”
194 has always been a slave. A fighter. A killer. An ugly monster. A drugged freak of a man.
In order to keep his sister alive, he has to do as he is told. Kill anyone he is ordered to kill and fulfill all of his Mistress' wishes.
Now she wishes to have Zaal Kostava. The murderer of her lover, her Master. And 194 will get him.
NO MATTER THE COST.
“We are different. Me weak and you strong. Me a Georgian and you Russian, but our broken hearts are tired and old. Our spirits are low, though not broken. But our souls, though thoroughly tested and hardened through pain, are resilient. THEY ARE THE SAME.”
OVERALL: Zoya and her beautiful monster share a heartbreaking and painful story. I loved to be a witness to it. Maybe you will too.
** ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **
October 29, 2016
Title: Ravage
Series: Scarred Souls #3
Author: Tillie Cole
Release date: August 16, 2016
Cliffhanger: No
HEA
After the tease for this book at the end of Reap, I was beyond excited to read the next installment in the Scarred Souls series. Raze and Reap were big winners for me. The continuing mafia storyline is one that roused my attention and frayed more than a few nerves. Intense, savage, and powerfully done, these books will make you feel an overwhelming array of emotions. There are parts that made my skin crawl, and made me squirm in my seat at the horrible atrocities and evil that was displayed. Yet Tillie Cole always manages to deliver a love story underneath all the grit that calls to my love of romance. Sadly, while the mafia aspect was once again just as engrossing, the emotional connection between Valentin and Zoya was lost to me.
Once again, we meet another poor unfortunate soul who has been tormented and drugged by this horrible crime faction. Abducted as a child with his sister and enslaved to the mind-altering drug pumped into his body, Valentin is forced to become an animal with no free will. He's a stone cold killer with no hope of becoming anything more in his lifetime. And worse, the evil "mistress" who controls him takes joy in demanding his obedience even further. Stringing him along with the faint hope that one day he could earn his sister's freedom, he clings to his desperate goal in vain.
The enormity of the bleak world Valentin resides in is almost too much to contemplate. It's devastating what he experiences and sees every single day. There is no relief from his hellish life, and despite his grim existence, his one ray of light is that somehow he could save his beloved sister. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that he wouldn't do. His moral code has been obliterated, and he has nothing left to fear-not even death.
I think seeing the boy he was, how protective and loving he was towards his sister really made his current situation even more heartbreaking. You really get to see what drives his desperation in the horrible things that he's forced to do. Even in the moments when the drug allows some semblance of free will, he crushes his qualms quickly and carries on with his directive. To kill Zaal by any means necessary.
Zoya's news that her brother lives after all these years has her making a very foolish mistake. One that could cost her her life. In her haste to reunite with Zaal, she puts herself in the path of a killer and what follows is one excruciating situation. Let me just come right out and say that this was the turning point of the story for me. Up until Zoya's abduction and the following events, I was fully on board with the plot. I truly believe that Valentin had no other options and understood what forced his hand to do what he did. However, it was their lightning quick switch in emotions to "love" that I completely did not feel or see happening in a realistic way. The reasoning was too flimsy for my liking, I was never made to feel their connection growing naturally.
This feeling, this strange feeling for the savage but mysterious man, was engulfing me.
Honestly, I wasn't expecting an idyllic stroll through romance land with this book. I was expecting dark and gritty and that certainly was what you get in Ravage. Nonetheless, a romance was fed to us and I felt that it was the weak side of the story. As hard as I tried, I could not understand the feelings that they supposedly had. Especially growing from their unfortunate meeting in that much haste. I'm sure many will disagree with me, but for me it wasn't fitting in with the circumstances.
The latest installment in the series certainly wasn't short on suspense. It takes you on a break-neck pace through the vile Jakhua Clan's vicious depravity. You also get to catch up with the couples and family from the previous books which was for me, very satisfying. This is no light and easy read by any means, it's disturbing at times and not for the faint of heart. Valentin's sister's book is next, and I'm extremely curious how her story will pan out. I have no doubt that it will be another crazy ride from Tillie Cole.
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August 3, 2016
4,5 STARS
Yet another fantastic Tillie Cole story!!! I really enjoyed reading this story. I know I should feel really bad for what the characters have to go through to make such an awesome book but I just can't bring myself to feel that way. I want more books like these and if the characters have to suffer unimaginable pain, then so be it. We all have to sacrifice something to get things that we want, so if I can suffer with my waiting for the next book to come out, then so can the characters bleed a little, right? Yes, I know I'm evil but who cares, you feel the same way anyway, no shame in admiting that... I love that the book stays the series true and I was glad to see all the previous characters and also some of Luka's POV. That made the story more interesting, to see what the other characters are doing and going to do, while at the same time 'watching' what 194 and Zoya are going throught. Made the book more dynamic, that's for sure. I only wished we get to see the villain's POV, too but I guss that would have just been too greedy, right? I think the next book is going to be quite interesting, judging by what was revealed in this book. Lots of action, violence, love and also the right amount of pain to make the story really grip your emotions. But what else could you expect from this fantastic author, she just knows how to write them right.
This version of the monster was very much in charge of his own actions.
This version of the man terrified me like I’d never been terrified before—he knowingly made me scream. Yet despite this, I could see a flare of humanity in his stare. Last night, there had been none.
Now, where to start with 194 aka. Valentin. Gosh, his life is just so miserable, that is until he finally meets Zoya, his captive and the person he also, besides her brother, should in the end kill. Until that point 194 only knew pain, how to receive it and how to inflict it. Also, he was nothing but a slave and a killing machine, a proud prize for his masters, or better said his mistress. Man, did I hate that bitch, she deserved what she got in the end and so much more. What a horrible person! She abused him so much and not just by using his body to her pleasue but also his mind by making him false promises of his poor sister. Btw. her book is next and I cannot wait to read it. I'm not going to go into detail but meeting Zoya, everything changes and she definitely makes him feel more human and gives him hope of something more.
I liked Zoya, a lot! She is such a loyal person, it truly touched my heart. And she also fight like a lioness for the people she loves and that's exactly what she does. They tried to break her but in the end they were the ones that were broken, some for the better some for the worse. Also, her relationship with her brother is so strong and I'm so glad they found each other again, after all these years finally becoming a family again.
She was somehow seeing the forgotten me living underneath the beast’s scars.
This author sure knows how to write stories that will grip your attention and make you feel so many emotions. Just brilliant and I can't wait for the next book in this series. It's a must-read for sure!
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
Safety:
Yet another fantastic Tillie Cole story!!! I really enjoyed reading this story. I know I should feel really bad for what the characters have to go through to make such an awesome book but I just can't bring myself to feel that way. I want more books like these and if the characters have to suffer unimaginable pain, then so be it. We all have to sacrifice something to get things that we want, so if I can suffer with my waiting for the next book to come out, then so can the characters bleed a little, right? Yes, I know I'm evil but who cares, you feel the same way anyway, no shame in admiting that... I love that the book stays the series true and I was glad to see all the previous characters and also some of Luka's POV. That made the story more interesting, to see what the other characters are doing and going to do, while at the same time 'watching' what 194 and Zoya are going throught. Made the book more dynamic, that's for sure. I only wished we get to see the villain's POV, too but I guss that would have just been too greedy, right? I think the next book is going to be quite interesting, judging by what was revealed in this book. Lots of action, violence, love and also the right amount of pain to make the story really grip your emotions. But what else could you expect from this fantastic author, she just knows how to write them right.
This version of the monster was very much in charge of his own actions.
This version of the man terrified me like I’d never been terrified before—he knowingly made me scream. Yet despite this, I could see a flare of humanity in his stare. Last night, there had been none.
Now, where to start with 194 aka. Valentin. Gosh, his life is just so miserable, that is until he finally meets Zoya, his captive and the person he also, besides her brother, should in the end kill. Until that point 194 only knew pain, how to receive it and how to inflict it. Also, he was nothing but a slave and a killing machine, a proud prize for his masters, or better said his mistress. Man, did I hate that bitch, she deserved what she got in the end and so much more. What a horrible person! She abused him so much and not just by using his body to her pleasue but also his mind by making him false promises of his poor sister. Btw. her book is next and I cannot wait to read it. I'm not going to go into detail but meeting Zoya, everything changes and she definitely makes him feel more human and gives him hope of something more.
I liked Zoya, a lot! She is such a loyal person, it truly touched my heart. And she also fight like a lioness for the people she loves and that's exactly what she does. They tried to break her but in the end they were the ones that were broken, some for the better some for the worse. Also, her relationship with her brother is so strong and I'm so glad they found each other again, after all these years finally becoming a family again.
She was somehow seeing the forgotten me living underneath the beast’s scars.
This author sure knows how to write stories that will grip your attention and make you feel so many emotions. Just brilliant and I can't wait for the next book in this series. It's a must-read for sure!
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
Safety:
August 28, 2016
4.5 STARS
I have to be honest it took me a bit to get back in the swing of this series and once I finished I just wanted to jump into the next book. The March release date just seems so far away at the moment. Though this story is a standalone Ms. Cole laid all the groundwork for the next book’s heroine and her circumstances and I feel awful that I can’t go rescue her anytime sooner.
As for this story, this was a great installment all the previous characters are still in use and the plot thickens and I was fully invested in our new hero, 194 and our heroine equally.
”I had seen no one but Mistress and Gvardii since I was captured at age of twelve. Mistress told me I was thirty now.”
194 has been abused and tortured and turned into a killer with the aid of strong behavior control/I’ll make you a killer drugs. His existence truly did break my heart and I loved his fall back into his humanity and love with Zoya (Zaal’s thought dead little sister). Zoya is taken by 194 in hopes of getting information and closer to his target killing Zaal. To both characters surprise they fall in love with one another in a captor situation.
”Every day when you wake, I wait for you to see the real monster lying in your bed. I wait for you to tell me to leave, disgusted by what I’ve done to you.”
[image error]
Mistress doesn’t let 194 walk away and continues to use her hold on his sister to keep him in line. The problem now is that he loves Zoya as well. With the help of Zaal and Luka this group is on track with retribution and they are all coupled up super sweetly!
“I knew his life had been as impossible as mine. Knew he wasn’t truly as evil as he seemed. He was just like my Anri and Zaal. Like me. Broken.”
I have to be honest it took me a bit to get back in the swing of this series and once I finished I just wanted to jump into the next book. The March release date just seems so far away at the moment. Though this story is a standalone Ms. Cole laid all the groundwork for the next book’s heroine and her circumstances and I feel awful that I can’t go rescue her anytime sooner.
As for this story, this was a great installment all the previous characters are still in use and the plot thickens and I was fully invested in our new hero, 194 and our heroine equally.
”I had seen no one but Mistress and Gvardii since I was captured at age of twelve. Mistress told me I was thirty now.”
194 has been abused and tortured and turned into a killer with the aid of strong behavior control/I’ll make you a killer drugs. His existence truly did break my heart and I loved his fall back into his humanity and love with Zoya (Zaal’s thought dead little sister). Zoya is taken by 194 in hopes of getting information and closer to his target killing Zaal. To both characters surprise they fall in love with one another in a captor situation.
”Every day when you wake, I wait for you to see the real monster lying in your bed. I wait for you to tell me to leave, disgusted by what I’ve done to you.”
[image error]
Mistress doesn’t let 194 walk away and continues to use her hold on his sister to keep him in line. The problem now is that he loves Zoya as well. With the help of Zaal and Luka this group is on track with retribution and they are all coupled up super sweetly!
“I knew his life had been as impossible as mine. Knew he wasn’t truly as evil as he seemed. He was just like my Anri and Zaal. Like me. Broken.”
December 26, 2018
5 "Valentin has stolen my heart" stars!!
Every book I've ever read from Tillie Cole has been spectacular and this book was no different. I was intrigued by the blurb and from the moment I started reading, my eyes remained focused right to the end.
I'm serious. I don't remember even blinking.
The story certainly held me captive and I loved getting to know 194. The scene of when he and his sister were taken absolutely broke my heart, right along with his. Over time, I got to see that his loyalty and devotion to her did not wane. In fact, they were the catalyst for the situation between him and Zoya.
"My God, I thought; he looked like a monster." - Zoya
What a first impression. Even I was a bit frightened and I had already met the guy! Thankfully, over time, and through witnessing some of his actions, Zoya's opinion of 194 started to change.
"... but it was there: an element of empathy and remorse. Maybe this heavily scarred monster had feelings after all." - Zoya
Watching the love story unfold between Valentin and Zoya was a thing of beauty. They still had a battle on their hands, but at least they wouldn't have to fight alone.
I'm still trying to figure out how this author does it. How she creates these fierce male characters who have experienced similar loss, pain and torture, yet somehow each one of their stories are strangely unique. From capture to eventual freedom, each man has their own story to tell and their own individual pain to bare. Tillie Cole is amazing!!
One of my favourite lines was:
"Here I was, my hand in Zoya's, sun on my face, and free. I was happy. I never imagined I could be happy." - Valentin
I loved that the reunion between Zaal and Zoya was realistic. It wasn't all puppies and rainbows. Although they still loved one another, these siblings were now adults; virtual strangers. It was nice to imagine that over time their relationship would only grow stronger.
And again, I would like to shout (from the mountain tops if I could) my appreciation for Luka's POV. I really really really love that man!
So now that I've read this, I'm all geared up and ready to dive in to Riot... which isn't out until NEXT YEAR!!
Yes. Yes I am.
So here's my two cents for the next book: it may not be entirely realistic, considering he's "died" earlier in the series, but nothing is stranger than fiction. Wouldn't it be absolutely fantastic if... when 152 (Valentin's captive sister) is gifted to the death match champ, that the champ would be 362 (Anri - Zaal's twin brother)???
It's just my wish. That I'm hoping to come true. *wink*
XO
Every book I've ever read from Tillie Cole has been spectacular and this book was no different. I was intrigued by the blurb and from the moment I started reading, my eyes remained focused right to the end.
I'm serious. I don't remember even blinking.
The story certainly held me captive and I loved getting to know 194. The scene of when he and his sister were taken absolutely broke my heart, right along with his. Over time, I got to see that his loyalty and devotion to her did not wane. In fact, they were the catalyst for the situation between him and Zoya.
"My God, I thought; he looked like a monster." - Zoya
What a first impression. Even I was a bit frightened and I had already met the guy! Thankfully, over time, and through witnessing some of his actions, Zoya's opinion of 194 started to change.
"... but it was there: an element of empathy and remorse. Maybe this heavily scarred monster had feelings after all." - Zoya
Watching the love story unfold between Valentin and Zoya was a thing of beauty. They still had a battle on their hands, but at least they wouldn't have to fight alone.
I'm still trying to figure out how this author does it. How she creates these fierce male characters who have experienced similar loss, pain and torture, yet somehow each one of their stories are strangely unique. From capture to eventual freedom, each man has their own story to tell and their own individual pain to bare. Tillie Cole is amazing!!
One of my favourite lines was:
"Here I was, my hand in Zoya's, sun on my face, and free. I was happy. I never imagined I could be happy." - Valentin
I loved that the reunion between Zaal and Zoya was realistic. It wasn't all puppies and rainbows. Although they still loved one another, these siblings were now adults; virtual strangers. It was nice to imagine that over time their relationship would only grow stronger.
And again, I would like to shout (from the mountain tops if I could) my appreciation for Luka's POV. I really really really love that man!
So now that I've read this, I'm all geared up and ready to dive in to Riot... which isn't out until NEXT YEAR!!
Yes. Yes I am.
So here's my two cents for the next book: it may not be entirely realistic, considering he's "died" earlier in the series, but nothing is stranger than fiction. Wouldn't it be absolutely fantastic if... when 152 (Valentin's captive sister) is gifted to the death match champ, that the champ would be 362 (Anri - Zaal's twin brother)???
It's just my wish. That I'm hoping to come true. *wink*
XO
November 25, 2016
*** 3.75 ***
A buddy read with the ladies at Abtastic Ab Loving Geishas and my friend, the lovely Aileene and Kate in particular, who research books with fab bods on the cover for science!!!
Another Tillie Cole book, another story of torture, imprisonment, forced submission, blood, pain, emotional turmoil, more pain, and finally insta lust-love. Another day in the Russian and Georgian Mafias. Another pair of two very hurt and broken souls finding and attempting to heal each-others wounds in the only way they can - through care and love... Being the third book in a series, you would think I would have gotten used to all the atrocities that the people in them do to each-other, but I still have a hard time reading some of them... They push on scars deep in my soul, which make it painful to digest at times, and I have to remind myself that it is a book, it is only a fictional book...
Ravage is not much different from the books that came before. It is about another enslaved child, who was raised in deplorable way and pumped with obedience drugs in order to produce a killer, who would jump when told jump by his enslavers and would be brutally punished if a suggestion of disobedience is detected. We meet 194, also known as Valentine, is very much of the same mold as Luka and Zaal, having been captured and crafted by the same sadistic monsters. Only he is still in the hands of his Mistress, who uses him in all imaginable ways, as well as having him commit murders and torture her adversaries as she wishes. I have to admit, the way we find out she had trained him to be her pet assassin had me gagging with disgust and outrage at times. I even had to put it down for a bit so i can calm down...
"..."I became a ghost in the night.
I became the deliverer of death.
I was torture.
I was pain.
I was the fucking nightmare that no one ever saw coming…
…until it was too late.…”
So, 194's Mistress orders him to capture and deliver, dead or alive, Zaal Kostava and to use any and all methods to get that accomplished. He had tried to get close to the mark, but found no convenient way to do so, until he sees a young woman clutching a picture of herself with the mark, and he knows she is his way in. He captures and puts her to the question in order to find out what the relationship between her and the mark is and how he can exploit it.
"...“Kotyonok, I am your Tbilisi monster…”
Zoya Kostava awakens in a dungeon cell, a scarred and scary looking humongous dude demanding answers she is determined not to give. The slight, gentle and fragile looking Georgian girl had been about to meat her long-lost brother, whom she had not seen since she was 5 years old, when this cruel, barely in control man had taken her freedom and was about to make her life miserable. The leashed potential of violence in his eyes is the scariest thing she had experienced ever since her family had been massacred by their enemies. At least the newly acquired knowledge that her brother is alive and well can give her a modicum of peace...
"..."This version of the monster was very much in charge of his own actions.
This version of the man terrified me like I’d never been terrified before—he knowingly made me scream. Yet despite this, I could see a flare of humanity in his stare. Last night, there had been none. .. "
Somehow, in this horrifying situation, the scared girl in her was able to distinguish and see the vulnerability and remorse in the monster who has her captive. Yes, I call this story A Stockholm Syndrome on Steroids!!!! Somehow Zoya is able to see beyond all the pain and torture into her torturers' soul and find that there is a good and hurt man behind it. ... Not truly impossible, but let's say, strongly Implausible... However, it keeps very faithfully with the spirit of the series and I knew what to expect going in, having enjoyed the previous two books as well. It has been a series of juxtapositions of people most unlikely to fall for each-other and even more so, to find a way to make their love work in the world they come from.
I am not going to get in more detail, since you guys have to discover the hows and whys of it by yourselves, but also keeping with the pattern set by the books up to now, there is an outcome which gives us hope for the future happiness of those couples. This is not a spoiler, it is just a pattern. And once again, I was entertained, as well as often disgusted, by the story and its multitude of harshness and cruelty. I would recommend it to the fans of dark and gritty romance, but would advise the ones who look for gentleness and fluff with their love stories to stay far, faaaar away from it! It is not for the faint of heart or younglings either. However, I am going to look forward to finding out what happens with 152 in the next volume of the series:):):)
I wish you all Happy Reading and a wonderful Holiday Season!!!
A buddy read with the ladies at Abtastic Ab Loving Geishas and my friend, the lovely Aileene and Kate in particular, who research books with fab bods on the cover for science!!!
Another Tillie Cole book, another story of torture, imprisonment, forced submission, blood, pain, emotional turmoil, more pain, and finally insta lust-love. Another day in the Russian and Georgian Mafias. Another pair of two very hurt and broken souls finding and attempting to heal each-others wounds in the only way they can - through care and love... Being the third book in a series, you would think I would have gotten used to all the atrocities that the people in them do to each-other, but I still have a hard time reading some of them... They push on scars deep in my soul, which make it painful to digest at times, and I have to remind myself that it is a book, it is only a fictional book...
Ravage is not much different from the books that came before. It is about another enslaved child, who was raised in deplorable way and pumped with obedience drugs in order to produce a killer, who would jump when told jump by his enslavers and would be brutally punished if a suggestion of disobedience is detected. We meet 194, also known as Valentine, is very much of the same mold as Luka and Zaal, having been captured and crafted by the same sadistic monsters. Only he is still in the hands of his Mistress, who uses him in all imaginable ways, as well as having him commit murders and torture her adversaries as she wishes. I have to admit, the way we find out she had trained him to be her pet assassin had me gagging with disgust and outrage at times. I even had to put it down for a bit so i can calm down...
"..."I became a ghost in the night.
I became the deliverer of death.
I was torture.
I was pain.
I was the fucking nightmare that no one ever saw coming…
…until it was too late.…”
So, 194's Mistress orders him to capture and deliver, dead or alive, Zaal Kostava and to use any and all methods to get that accomplished. He had tried to get close to the mark, but found no convenient way to do so, until he sees a young woman clutching a picture of herself with the mark, and he knows she is his way in. He captures and puts her to the question in order to find out what the relationship between her and the mark is and how he can exploit it.
"...“Kotyonok, I am your Tbilisi monster…”
Zoya Kostava awakens in a dungeon cell, a scarred and scary looking humongous dude demanding answers she is determined not to give. The slight, gentle and fragile looking Georgian girl had been about to meat her long-lost brother, whom she had not seen since she was 5 years old, when this cruel, barely in control man had taken her freedom and was about to make her life miserable. The leashed potential of violence in his eyes is the scariest thing she had experienced ever since her family had been massacred by their enemies. At least the newly acquired knowledge that her brother is alive and well can give her a modicum of peace...
"..."This version of the monster was very much in charge of his own actions.
This version of the man terrified me like I’d never been terrified before—he knowingly made me scream. Yet despite this, I could see a flare of humanity in his stare. Last night, there had been none. .. "
Somehow, in this horrifying situation, the scared girl in her was able to distinguish and see the vulnerability and remorse in the monster who has her captive. Yes, I call this story A Stockholm Syndrome on Steroids!!!! Somehow Zoya is able to see beyond all the pain and torture into her torturers' soul and find that there is a good and hurt man behind it. ... Not truly impossible, but let's say, strongly Implausible... However, it keeps very faithfully with the spirit of the series and I knew what to expect going in, having enjoyed the previous two books as well. It has been a series of juxtapositions of people most unlikely to fall for each-other and even more so, to find a way to make their love work in the world they come from.
I am not going to get in more detail, since you guys have to discover the hows and whys of it by yourselves, but also keeping with the pattern set by the books up to now, there is an outcome which gives us hope for the future happiness of those couples. This is not a spoiler, it is just a pattern. And once again, I was entertained, as well as often disgusted, by the story and its multitude of harshness and cruelty. I would recommend it to the fans of dark and gritty romance, but would advise the ones who look for gentleness and fluff with their love stories to stay far, faaaar away from it! It is not for the faint of heart or younglings either. However, I am going to look forward to finding out what happens with 152 in the next volume of the series:):):)
I wish you all Happy Reading and a wonderful Holiday Season!!!
February 7, 2017
3.5 STARS
Let’s see. I was entertained by this book. I was invested in the outcome, but more so to find out what happens with the side characters than the main ones. Ravage wasn’t a bad read by any means, but for me it did not live up to the greatness of the first two books in the series.
I absolutely love the series, especially Raze and Reap were major wins for me. I love the gritty and very raw stories. The characters are so messed up that you can’t help but fall in love with them. Yes, that’s a thing. Unfortunately, Zoya and 194 didn’t convince me in that way. I enjoyed their development, but it wasn’t as special as the others. Which is totally fine, we all have different tastes and there is room to play in a series. Speaking of that, I’m more than ready to get started with Riot, the last book in the Scarred Souls series. Bring it on, I’d say. ;)
**ARC very kindly provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Let’s see. I was entertained by this book. I was invested in the outcome, but more so to find out what happens with the side characters than the main ones. Ravage wasn’t a bad read by any means, but for me it did not live up to the greatness of the first two books in the series.
I absolutely love the series, especially Raze and Reap were major wins for me. I love the gritty and very raw stories. The characters are so messed up that you can’t help but fall in love with them. Yes, that’s a thing. Unfortunately, Zoya and 194 didn’t convince me in that way. I enjoyed their development, but it wasn’t as special as the others. Which is totally fine, we all have different tastes and there is room to play in a series. Speaking of that, I’m more than ready to get started with Riot, the last book in the Scarred Souls series. Bring it on, I’d say. ;)
**ARC very kindly provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2018
Well that was soooooo much better than the 2nd book. I really loved Zoya.She's such a strong girl. <3
And I really liked Valentin too but as I said before Raze always will be my 1st choice. But still if you like to read dark&twisted stories, I highly recommend this series to you... :)
Because they're all so...
And I really liked Valentin too but as I said before Raze always will be my 1st choice. But still if you like to read dark&twisted stories, I highly recommend this series to you... :)
Because they're all so...
August 6, 2016
༺**Complimentary Copy**༺ Provided by the author
"Tillie Cole" in exchange for an honest review..Thank you!!
TITLE: Ravage
AUTHOR: Tillie Cole
SERIES: (Scarred Souls, #3)
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
CHAPTERS: Prologue | 23 | Epilogue
RELEASE DATE: August 2nd, 2016
MY RATING: 4 STARS
RAVAGE: This is BOOK#3 in the Scarred Souls Series, Ravage takes us right back where Reap ended but this time it’s a story of another innocent soul that's being destroyed, it's told in multiple POV'S ( Zoya, 194, Luka) and starts us off at the 'Prologue'
The House of Abandoned Children trying to hide himself and his sister under a bed in the orphanage where they were hiding from the 'Night Wraiths' They were found. Both were taken. in the dead of the night 20 others were also taken.
If you want to keep her alive,
you will learn to do anything we say
You will become one of us.
You will become a night wraith
You will become an unseen killer
You will become one with the night
You will be my prized Ubiytsa,
my most effective assassin.
And that's how his fate was sealed, to save his sister he had to become the deliverer of death.
I became the deliverer of death
I became a ghost in the night
I was torture
I was pain.
“I was the fucking nightmare that no one ever saw coming …”
Warned to hold onto his memories, his name, his identity before they were all erased by the drug pumped into his body.
TO PRESENT DAY: Abducted by the Jakhua Clan as a teen, Valentin aka 194 was stripped of his name, his identity, and his freewill, meticulously honed to be a ruthless, soulless killing machine, trained solely to spill blood and stop hearts.
194's head was shaved, he was covered in battle scars, tattoos, a scar on his right cheek trailed from his temple all the way down to his chest, some would call him one ugly bastard, a monster, others would call him their worst fucking nightmare, but one went so far as to call him beautiful.
His name is Valentin. Such a beautiful name for one so brutal and scarred. For one so vicious.
This goes that wee bit darker and gritter than this author has ever led us previously, some will find it uncomfortable to read, as it does push boundaries.
I found this really hard in the beginning to connect with the story, once I reached chapter 2 I found I couldn't put it down, the only other problem I had with this was that feeling of insta love between the two main characters, it just felt too rushed (this is my personal opinion and may differ from what others may take away from this book). But all in all a really heart gripping, enjoyable read that had me rooting for a HEA..
"Tillie Cole" in exchange for an honest review..Thank you!!
TITLE: Ravage
AUTHOR: Tillie Cole
SERIES: (Scarred Souls, #3)
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
CHAPTERS: Prologue | 23 | Epilogue
RELEASE DATE: August 2nd, 2016
MY RATING: 4 STARS
RAVAGE: This is BOOK#3 in the Scarred Souls Series, Ravage takes us right back where Reap ended but this time it’s a story of another innocent soul that's being destroyed, it's told in multiple POV'S ( Zoya, 194, Luka) and starts us off at the 'Prologue'
The House of Abandoned Children trying to hide himself and his sister under a bed in the orphanage where they were hiding from the 'Night Wraiths' They were found. Both were taken. in the dead of the night 20 others were also taken.
If you want to keep her alive, you will learn to do anything we say
You will become one of us.
You will become a night wraith
You will become an unseen killer
You will become one with the night
You will be my prized Ubiytsa,
my most effective assassin.
And that's how his fate was sealed, to save his sister he had to become the deliverer of death.
I became the deliverer of deathI became a ghost in the night
I was torture
I was pain.
“I was the fucking nightmare that no one ever saw coming …”
Warned to hold onto his memories, his name, his identity before they were all erased by the drug pumped into his body.
TO PRESENT DAY: Abducted by the Jakhua Clan as a teen, Valentin aka 194 was stripped of his name, his identity, and his freewill, meticulously honed to be a ruthless, soulless killing machine, trained solely to spill blood and stop hearts.
194's head was shaved, he was covered in battle scars, tattoos, a scar on his right cheek trailed from his temple all the way down to his chest, some would call him one ugly bastard, a monster, others would call him their worst fucking nightmare, but one went so far as to call him beautiful.
His name is Valentin. Such a beautiful name for one so brutal and scarred. For one so vicious.
This goes that wee bit darker and gritter than this author has ever led us previously, some will find it uncomfortable to read, as it does push boundaries.
I found this really hard in the beginning to connect with the story, once I reached chapter 2 I found I couldn't put it down, the only other problem I had with this was that feeling of insta love between the two main characters, it just felt too rushed (this is my personal opinion and may differ from what others may take away from this book). But all in all a really heart gripping, enjoyable read that had me rooting for a HEA..
August 18, 2016
**4.5 Stars**
This is the third book in the Scarred Souls series written by Tillie Cole. Another amazing read from one of my top fave authors in the book world. This story was on the darker side of romance; but it still captured my heart and emotions from the first page. It did lose a half a star because I will be honest and admit that I was very confused for awhile during the first 25%. I got mixed up on who exactly the characters were. In fact, at one point I thought our heroine was actually the hero's sister!! Now, it could be just me that was muddled...(it is not hard to muddle me up!!) but I just found that the way the Prologue was told, it had made me think that it was the main couple who were siblings. So, forewarning...they are not!! ( just in case some of you get confused like me!!)
Valentin is another tortured soul who is owned by a woman he calls; "Mistress." That woman is evil, and I despise her for what she puts poor Valentin through. She uses him as her personal killer, and then makes him have sex with her. How does she manage to get a man who is so much stronger that her to do everything she wants?? She has his sister in captivity as well, and in order for Valentin to keep his sister unharmed...he must torture and kills whomever Mistress says. She has owned him since he was twelve years old.
Valentin is a living monster on the inside and out. When he kidnaps his targets sister, she finds out first hand just how terrifying he is. Somewhere deep down though, this mysterious lady he has kidnapped is able to see a shred of humanity underneath all of the scars and ugliness that Valentin is...Will she be able to touch his soul, and manage to turn him into something more loving???
This reminded me a bit of a beauty and the beast kind of theme, although the overall theme is very different. I always have a weakness for the men that absolutely no one else wants, but one woman who can see under all the ugliness. I really enjoyed this story, and I loved how even though Valentin was so mean, he wasn't at his core....and there was an innocence that peaked out once in awhile that made the villain turn into a hero very quickly in my eyes!
Another winner of a story for me..So far I have loved everything that Tillie Cole has written, and I can't wait for more!!!
Thank you to my Buddy reader, Steph!!! We have had another successful read!!! YAY!
This is the third book in the Scarred Souls series written by Tillie Cole. Another amazing read from one of my top fave authors in the book world. This story was on the darker side of romance; but it still captured my heart and emotions from the first page. It did lose a half a star because I will be honest and admit that I was very confused for awhile during the first 25%. I got mixed up on who exactly the characters were. In fact, at one point I thought our heroine was actually the hero's sister!! Now, it could be just me that was muddled...(it is not hard to muddle me up!!) but I just found that the way the Prologue was told, it had made me think that it was the main couple who were siblings. So, forewarning...they are not!! ( just in case some of you get confused like me!!)
Valentin is another tortured soul who is owned by a woman he calls; "Mistress." That woman is evil, and I despise her for what she puts poor Valentin through. She uses him as her personal killer, and then makes him have sex with her. How does she manage to get a man who is so much stronger that her to do everything she wants?? She has his sister in captivity as well, and in order for Valentin to keep his sister unharmed...he must torture and kills whomever Mistress says. She has owned him since he was twelve years old.
Valentin is a living monster on the inside and out. When he kidnaps his targets sister, she finds out first hand just how terrifying he is. Somewhere deep down though, this mysterious lady he has kidnapped is able to see a shred of humanity underneath all of the scars and ugliness that Valentin is...Will she be able to touch his soul, and manage to turn him into something more loving???
This reminded me a bit of a beauty and the beast kind of theme, although the overall theme is very different. I always have a weakness for the men that absolutely no one else wants, but one woman who can see under all the ugliness. I really enjoyed this story, and I loved how even though Valentin was so mean, he wasn't at his core....and there was an innocence that peaked out once in awhile that made the villain turn into a hero very quickly in my eyes!
Another winner of a story for me..So far I have loved everything that Tillie Cole has written, and I can't wait for more!!!
Thank you to my Buddy reader, Steph!!! We have had another successful read!!! YAY!
March 22, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Last weekend when I was reading The Wall of Winnipeg and Me my husband pointed out that my "porny" books don't seem to be very porny, to which I responded . . . .
One thing you can't say is the Scarred Souls series isn't porny! So before I begin let me say this to Tillie Cole . . . .
The porny librarian ended up getting this series out of order and also I have shit for brains so I found myself confused at times regarding what info I knew from the before books and what info I wasn't supposed to yet know from the after book. But I ain't complaining, kids because this was the story I had been waiting for. Y'all can keep your pretty boy Jon Snow as long as I get dibs on . . . .
Oh The Hound. How I lurrrrv him. When I heard (in book 4 since out of order reading as mentioned above) that the leading male in Ravage was going to be all scar-faced and a "monster" I was like YES PLEASE! I also knew from prior experience that I wouldn't have to wait until the 98% marker before I was all . . . .
Bonus would be an actual storyline! (These guys were all kidnapped/drugged/100% killers/Gulag fighters/etc.) What I forgot was that Tillie Cole doesn't always use the best words when it comes to some of the sexytimes descriptions. Talking about "laving" parts just makes my mind go to turrrrrrrible places like . . . .
And I had completely forgotten about the references to a lady's "channel" . . . . .
But when we got to the "scooping her cream" I couldn't stop myself from yelling at my Kindle . . . .
Other than that this series is obviously like my crack because I keep going back to it again and again for my fix. The good news is, if this sounds awful to you there's probably a different Tillie Cole romance that will be a hit. She writes EV.ER.Y.THANG. From Young Adult stories about Boy Kisses to New Adult sportsball romances in Alabama (#rolltide) to these crazy ass books here to my absolute fave - THE MOTORCYCLE PORNO!!!!
Speaking of . . . I think I might need to come off of four bucks so I can read Crux Untamed on Porny Saturday : )
Last weekend when I was reading The Wall of Winnipeg and Me my husband pointed out that my "porny" books don't seem to be very porny, to which I responded . . . .
One thing you can't say is the Scarred Souls series isn't porny! So before I begin let me say this to Tillie Cole . . . .
The porny librarian ended up getting this series out of order and also I have shit for brains so I found myself confused at times regarding what info I knew from the before books and what info I wasn't supposed to yet know from the after book. But I ain't complaining, kids because this was the story I had been waiting for. Y'all can keep your pretty boy Jon Snow as long as I get dibs on . . . .
Oh The Hound. How I lurrrrv him. When I heard (in book 4 since out of order reading as mentioned above) that the leading male in Ravage was going to be all scar-faced and a "monster" I was like YES PLEASE! I also knew from prior experience that I wouldn't have to wait until the 98% marker before I was all . . . .
Bonus would be an actual storyline! (These guys were all kidnapped/drugged/100% killers/Gulag fighters/etc.) What I forgot was that Tillie Cole doesn't always use the best words when it comes to some of the sexytimes descriptions. Talking about "laving" parts just makes my mind go to turrrrrrrible places like . . . .
And I had completely forgotten about the references to a lady's "channel" . . . . .
But when we got to the "scooping her cream" I couldn't stop myself from yelling at my Kindle . . . .
Other than that this series is obviously like my crack because I keep going back to it again and again for my fix. The good news is, if this sounds awful to you there's probably a different Tillie Cole romance that will be a hit. She writes EV.ER.Y.THANG. From Young Adult stories about Boy Kisses to New Adult sportsball romances in Alabama (#rolltide) to these crazy ass books here to my absolute fave - THE MOTORCYCLE PORNO!!!!
Speaking of . . . I think I might need to come off of four bucks so I can read Crux Untamed on Porny Saturday : )
September 21, 2021
"I’m not only scarred on the outside, kotyonok; I’m scarred on the inside: my mind, my heart, and my soul.”💔
This series continuously breaks my heart and mends all the broken pieces back together again by the end. I love emotionally scarred heroes. Especially in this series, all the heroes are so damaged from the sufferings they have encountered.
Valentin, our hero, is even more scarred, as his scars are even on his face. He sees himself a monster and incapable of having anyone to love the beast he has become.
"I look like this; I’m designed to scare everyone I meet. I was never meant to be loved.”
And yet he meets the beautiful Zoya, who sees beyond all the scars and truly sees the beautiful yet broken damaged person inside .
"when all the children were running away from the dangerous monster in the woods, I would instead stand at the edge of the line of trees, searching through the darkness of the forest, trying to bring him home, so he would not be alone, so he would never again be alone.”
They both found love under terrible circumstances, and Zoya was able to heal his broken heart.
I love love this whole series, and I love how Tillie cole includes the previous characters from the series and includes them in the storyline. To see the strong individuals they've become.
"My whole life my soul had yearned for something I couldn’t comprehend, but it was this. It was sharing itself with my true Russian love. My beautiful monster. My heart."
"Here I was, the monster that she saved. The one she searched the dark woods for. The one she believed deserved to be loved."
"it took a monster to revive my heart. It took a killer to touch my soul"
If you love beauty and the beast retelling, I absolutely recommend this series.
5 stars❤🥀⭐
This series continuously breaks my heart and mends all the broken pieces back together again by the end. I love emotionally scarred heroes. Especially in this series, all the heroes are so damaged from the sufferings they have encountered.
Valentin, our hero, is even more scarred, as his scars are even on his face. He sees himself a monster and incapable of having anyone to love the beast he has become.
"I look like this; I’m designed to scare everyone I meet. I was never meant to be loved.”
And yet he meets the beautiful Zoya, who sees beyond all the scars and truly sees the beautiful yet broken damaged person inside .
"when all the children were running away from the dangerous monster in the woods, I would instead stand at the edge of the line of trees, searching through the darkness of the forest, trying to bring him home, so he would not be alone, so he would never again be alone.”
They both found love under terrible circumstances, and Zoya was able to heal his broken heart.
I love love this whole series, and I love how Tillie cole includes the previous characters from the series and includes them in the storyline. To see the strong individuals they've become.
"My whole life my soul had yearned for something I couldn’t comprehend, but it was this. It was sharing itself with my true Russian love. My beautiful monster. My heart."
"Here I was, the monster that she saved. The one she searched the dark woods for. The one she believed deserved to be loved."
"it took a monster to revive my heart. It took a killer to touch my soul"
If you love beauty and the beast retelling, I absolutely recommend this series.
5 stars❤🥀⭐
August 12, 2016
3.75 STARS
I love dark, gritty reads. The more tortured and broken the hero, the better. When I read Raze, I was over the moon. This dark tale of children stolen from their homes, taken to Russian gulags, tortured and trained under the influence of a drug to be killing machines ticked all my boxes. It's still my favourite.
I’ve enjoyed this series with the animosity between the Russian Bratva and the Georgians, and how these dark, broken souls escape their imprisonment, fight the urge to kill and find love.
This book continues with the story of 194, Valentin, another victim of the gulags who crosses paths with Luka and Zaal, and Zaal's sister Zoya. For me, the connection between Valentin and Zoya was too much too soon.
Sometimes insta-love works for me. In this case, given the circumstance, I needed a bit more to truly buy into their fast love for each other. Having said that, the writing great, the plot solid and interesting, and I must say, the sex scenes are hot! This is not a standalone.
**ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
For more reviews and blog posts.
I love dark, gritty reads. The more tortured and broken the hero, the better. When I read Raze, I was over the moon. This dark tale of children stolen from their homes, taken to Russian gulags, tortured and trained under the influence of a drug to be killing machines ticked all my boxes. It's still my favourite.
I’ve enjoyed this series with the animosity between the Russian Bratva and the Georgians, and how these dark, broken souls escape their imprisonment, fight the urge to kill and find love.
This book continues with the story of 194, Valentin, another victim of the gulags who crosses paths with Luka and Zaal, and Zaal's sister Zoya. For me, the connection between Valentin and Zoya was too much too soon.
Sometimes insta-love works for me. In this case, given the circumstance, I needed a bit more to truly buy into their fast love for each other. Having said that, the writing great, the plot solid and interesting, and I must say, the sex scenes are hot! This is not a standalone.
**ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
For more reviews and blog posts.
August 18, 2016
*** ARC kindly provided by the publisher St. Martin's Press, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. ***
Ravage is the third book in the Scarred Souls series. I loved the first 2 books in this series and was so glad that I got an ARC for this one too.
In the second book we met little Zoya. She’s the little sister from Zaal and Anri. When Zaal and Anri were taken away to be drugged to be ruthless killers they thought their little sister was killed together with the rest of their family. Little Zoya has been injured seriously and has been hidden since by a loyal employee of their family. When she learns that Zaal is still alive and there is no more threat she can’t wait to go to him ... But then she gets taken by a monster. A monster willing to do everything to get to Zaal. Until the monster starts to feel. After hating the Georgian woman who took him and turned him into a monster inside and outside 18 years ago he wants to hate all Georgians but this little Georgian woman gets under his skin. His mistress has taken him and his little sister Inessa from the orphanage. Valentin will do everything to keep his sister alive. Even though her situation remains horrible... Will Zaal be able to save Inessa? Will Valentin have to chose between Zoya or Inessa? What happens when Zaal finds out that Inessa is still alive?
This book felt a little bit less violent than the previous two books in this series. We get new loveable characters. I admired Zoya’s strength. I was glad to read more from Luka, Zaal and their wives.
This book gets 4,5 stars. I’m looking forward to read Inessa’s story which will be book 4.
Ravage is the third book in the Scarred Souls series. I loved the first 2 books in this series and was so glad that I got an ARC for this one too.
In the second book we met little Zoya. She’s the little sister from Zaal and Anri. When Zaal and Anri were taken away to be drugged to be ruthless killers they thought their little sister was killed together with the rest of their family. Little Zoya has been injured seriously and has been hidden since by a loyal employee of their family. When she learns that Zaal is still alive and there is no more threat she can’t wait to go to him ... But then she gets taken by a monster. A monster willing to do everything to get to Zaal. Until the monster starts to feel. After hating the Georgian woman who took him and turned him into a monster inside and outside 18 years ago he wants to hate all Georgians but this little Georgian woman gets under his skin. His mistress has taken him and his little sister Inessa from the orphanage. Valentin will do everything to keep his sister alive. Even though her situation remains horrible... Will Zaal be able to save Inessa? Will Valentin have to chose between Zoya or Inessa? What happens when Zaal finds out that Inessa is still alive?
This book felt a little bit less violent than the previous two books in this series. We get new loveable characters. I admired Zoya’s strength. I was glad to read more from Luka, Zaal and their wives.
This book gets 4,5 stars. I’m looking forward to read Inessa’s story which will be book 4.
August 12, 2016
O.M.G. TILLIE COLE! You slay me!!!! When I was thinking about writing my review I literally told myself, Beverly write a review, don’t just go on and on about how much you absolutely love Tillie’s work and how it amazes you that she can write anything.
Well, I will try to do that, I will. BUT first, can we talk about how this author can make you believe she is from the South, grew up in a cult, a motorcycle club, or a crime family in NYC…I mean really Tillie Cole?? Delivering unique plots isn't new, but writing them all so well is something so few can do. I continue to be amazed by her.
Ravage is the third book in the Scarred Souls series, this series might be my favorite. At least I always feel like it is when I finish a book. These damaged men just hit me in the feels! They make me want to save them and the heroines she writes always do a remarkable job of loving these scarred souls.
Like the rest of the series, it is told from dual point of view. We are immediately thrown into 194’s world and can see his heartbreak and what motivates him. 194 is a trained assassin and what he doesn’t do from the training alone is achieved with the serum injected. I swear my heart immediately broke for 194 and his situation. While he had some memories left and free will, it only made the struggle more real since he was driven by his love and need to save his sister.
On his latest assignment, for the first time that love is called into question. He captures a Georgian woman who has him questioning everything. Zoya is the first person to see beyond the ugly beast he was designed to be. She sees a beautiful man worthy of love. She sees the person he is without the serum. She sees the man who would do anything to save his sister.
Gah, this book. I was legit a crying mess but in the best way. I expected a dark read, but the emotions I felt just pushed this one over the top for me. It’s more than a sexy, dark book, it’s a book that will make you feel and honestly at times will break your heart. Tillie’s writing, as always, is perfection. The story flows so quickly and keeps you engaged until the very end. I absolutely recommend this one!!
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Well, I will try to do that, I will. BUT first, can we talk about how this author can make you believe she is from the South, grew up in a cult, a motorcycle club, or a crime family in NYC…I mean really Tillie Cole?? Delivering unique plots isn't new, but writing them all so well is something so few can do. I continue to be amazed by her.
Ravage is the third book in the Scarred Souls series, this series might be my favorite. At least I always feel like it is when I finish a book. These damaged men just hit me in the feels! They make me want to save them and the heroines she writes always do a remarkable job of loving these scarred souls.
Like the rest of the series, it is told from dual point of view. We are immediately thrown into 194’s world and can see his heartbreak and what motivates him. 194 is a trained assassin and what he doesn’t do from the training alone is achieved with the serum injected. I swear my heart immediately broke for 194 and his situation. While he had some memories left and free will, it only made the struggle more real since he was driven by his love and need to save his sister.
On his latest assignment, for the first time that love is called into question. He captures a Georgian woman who has him questioning everything. Zoya is the first person to see beyond the ugly beast he was designed to be. She sees a beautiful man worthy of love. She sees the person he is without the serum. She sees the man who would do anything to save his sister.
Gah, this book. I was legit a crying mess but in the best way. I expected a dark read, but the emotions I felt just pushed this one over the top for me. It’s more than a sexy, dark book, it’s a book that will make you feel and honestly at times will break your heart. Tillie’s writing, as always, is perfection. The story flows so quickly and keeps you engaged until the very end. I absolutely recommend this one!!
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
December 2, 2016
{re-edited for Kate's review link}
This book is beautiful.
If you want scarred characters and life sacrifices like no other, look no further, this series has it all, esp this sequel.
was taken by the Night Wraiths when he was only 12, injected with high dosage of drugs and trained to become a killing machine.
194 was similar to 362 / Anri, no amount of drugs can make them completely forget their humanity.
They managed to retain a part of themselves. With 194, it was his name & his sister's name and his will to escape with his sister and seek vengeance.
This installment is heavier compared to the other books in this series.
And it is as 194 aka Valentin Belrov wasn't a royalty or came from a loving family. He was, however, and his little sister born from a crackwhore of a mum who died from an overdose. They were then sent to orphanage only to be taken away and separated.
194's Mistress, whom I didn't get the satisfaction didn't just turn Valentin a killer but sabotage his face so everyone he encounters will be scared of him.
She also used his little sister as a leverage to obtain his obedience completely.
Everything changes when 194 received a new assignment and kidnapped
this woman as he believed she was connected to his target.
, younger sister of Zaal, the scarred hero in Reap - book #2.
After her family was massacred, she was saved by one of their faithful servant. Together with his wife, they kept her hidden. To anyone outside of her people, she was Elene Melua, a poor farm girl from Kazreti, Georgia.
When she found out Zaal was alive she wanted to see him herself, only to be abducted by 194.
I thought this would be a case of Stockholm Syndrome, maybe it is, to some extent but Ms Cole was really a great author that I was completely reeled in and my attention was focused on
I love this series. I loved how Ms Cole managed to connect everything and everyone that made this book really work.
Still mourning the loss of (could've been) a great character, Anri or 362.
Rating this 4. I-would-never-understand-love-but-I-would-never-refuse-it-either Stars
Book 1 = Raze.
Book 2 = Reap.
Click for
Choko's review
• and •
Kate's review
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
BR'ing this with my gals Kate and Choko
Let's do this, girls.
Starts today 22 Nov
This book is beautiful.
If you want scarred characters and life sacrifices like no other, look no further, this series has it all, esp this sequel.
was taken by the Night Wraiths when he was only 12, injected with high dosage of drugs and trained to become a killing machine.
194 was similar to 362 / Anri, no amount of drugs can make them completely forget their humanity.
They managed to retain a part of themselves. With 194, it was his name & his sister's name and his will to escape with his sister and seek vengeance.
This installment is heavier compared to the other books in this series.
And it is as 194 aka Valentin Belrov wasn't a royalty or came from a loving family. He was, however, and his little sister born from a crackwhore of a mum who died from an overdose. They were then sent to orphanage only to be taken away and separated.
194's Mistress, whom I didn't get the satisfaction didn't just turn Valentin a killer but sabotage his face so everyone he encounters will be scared of him.
She also used his little sister as a leverage to obtain his obedience completely.
Everything changes when 194 received a new assignment and kidnapped
this woman as he believed she was connected to his target.
, younger sister of Zaal, the scarred hero in Reap - book #2.After her family was massacred, she was saved by one of their faithful servant. Together with his wife, they kept her hidden. To anyone outside of her people, she was Elene Melua, a poor farm girl from Kazreti, Georgia.
When she found out Zaal was alive she wanted to see him herself, only to be abducted by 194.
I thought this would be a case of Stockholm Syndrome, maybe it is, to some extent but Ms Cole was really a great author that I was completely reeled in and my attention was focused on
I love this series. I loved how Ms Cole managed to connect everything and everyone that made this book really work.
Still mourning the loss of (could've been) a great character, Anri or 362.
Rating this 4. I-would-never-understand-love-but-I-would-never-refuse-it-either Stars
Book 1 = Raze.
Book 2 = Reap.
Click for
Choko's review
• and •
Kate's review
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
BR'ing this with my gals Kate and Choko
Let's do this, girls.
Starts today 22 Nov
December 20, 2016
4,5 rounded to 4 stars
Tillie Cole is one of my favorite authors. She continues to amaze me with her brilliant mind and flawed characters.
I was charmed by her talent from the first book I've read by her, and I will continue to read her books. I love her writing style!
This story is #3 in the Scarred Souls series. I loved it, but not as much as the other books in the series. It has a lot of action and it's still dark and well, very painful. Just like her other books.
Zoya is Zaal's little sister. She is kidnapped by 194 - a trained killer. He had to follow orders, because he needed to keep his little sister safe. But she was far from safe. This story broke my heart over and over again. 194 had such a tormented soul and he wanted to fight the evil and stop the killing, but felt he didn't have a choice. The drugs he was injected with were not as powerful as they thought and that's how he started to feel something for Zoya. He was attracted to her and even if he had to torture her, he finally fought for her.
This book made me ache so much for Zoya - she was kidnapped and kept prisoner by 194/Valentin. He tried his best to make her talk and reveal who she is, and what is her relation to Zaal, but she was SO strong.
I expected this book to have much more mystery. Somehow it didn't surprise me at all. I saw it coming from the start: Zoya falling for the scarred man. And he made her suffer more then I could have imagined. So from captor to lover it was just too abrupt for my taste.
This book is not for the fainted hearts! It is tough, full of pain, anger and the need for revenge.
Tillie Cole is one of my favorite authors. She continues to amaze me with her brilliant mind and flawed characters.
I was charmed by her talent from the first book I've read by her, and I will continue to read her books. I love her writing style!
This story is #3 in the Scarred Souls series. I loved it, but not as much as the other books in the series. It has a lot of action and it's still dark and well, very painful. Just like her other books.
Zoya is Zaal's little sister. She is kidnapped by 194 - a trained killer. He had to follow orders, because he needed to keep his little sister safe. But she was far from safe. This story broke my heart over and over again. 194 had such a tormented soul and he wanted to fight the evil and stop the killing, but felt he didn't have a choice. The drugs he was injected with were not as powerful as they thought and that's how he started to feel something for Zoya. He was attracted to her and even if he had to torture her, he finally fought for her.
This book made me ache so much for Zoya - she was kidnapped and kept prisoner by 194/Valentin. He tried his best to make her talk and reveal who she is, and what is her relation to Zaal, but she was SO strong.
I expected this book to have much more mystery. Somehow it didn't surprise me at all. I saw it coming from the start: Zoya falling for the scarred man. And he made her suffer more then I could have imagined. So from captor to lover it was just too abrupt for my taste.
This book is not for the fainted hearts! It is tough, full of pain, anger and the need for revenge.
August 25, 2016
**4 Beautiful Monster Stars!***
*Dark
*Gritty
*Emotional
*Brutal
*Gory
*Intense
Gah this book!! If I didn't have anxiety before reading this I do now! This was so emotionally charged and raw and gritty. It was so beyond intense. My senses were heightened and I was on the edge of my seat. I was thrilled. My heart ached for Valentin and Zoya. At times I felt like I could literally feel their pain. Although their love was fast, unconventional and long winded at times, I still enjoyed their romance. 194 was brutal, trained killer, but I love how he softens up with love for his sister and Zoya.
If you're a fan of this series and you like dark, intense reads then this won't disappoint at all.
*Dark
*Gritty
*Emotional
*Brutal
*Gory
*Intense
Gah this book!! If I didn't have anxiety before reading this I do now! This was so emotionally charged and raw and gritty. It was so beyond intense. My senses were heightened and I was on the edge of my seat. I was thrilled. My heart ached for Valentin and Zoya. At times I felt like I could literally feel their pain. Although their love was fast, unconventional and long winded at times, I still enjoyed their romance. 194 was brutal, trained killer, but I love how he softens up with love for his sister and Zoya.
If you're a fan of this series and you like dark, intense reads then this won't disappoint at all.
July 31, 2016
*3.5 monster stars*
This must be by far the most aggravated, sickening, disturbing, horrifying and heartbreaking dark book I’ve read from Tillie Cole.
It wasn’t an easy read for me, yet I finished this book in one night, I mean what’s the point of sleep when you know it’s going to haunt your thoughts and induce anxiety!
Here I am, writing this review days after finishing the book and I still feel my stomach churning everytime I think of the horrendous events that took place in the course of this book. If you dig such heightened emotions this book is definitely for you if not, you might need a friend, a punching bag, a paper bag (to breath into), a bottle of wine, box of tissues or a therapist. Either way, you’re in for one hell of a dark ride!
If you are thoroughly warned, let’s get down to the business!
Third book in the Scarred Souls series, Ravage picks up where Reap has ended but this time it’s a story of another innocent soul being destroyed, humanity shredded and making him a killing machine by a bunch of inhumane Georgian group called Night’s Wraith.
This is the tragic story of 194 and how he became a MONSTER
“It was cruelty born from the duty of love.”
Abducted as Kids and trained to be an obedient slave under the influence of drugs, Valentin has become everything his Mistress aka evil heartless bitch has a wanted him to be - a ruthless cold hearted killer, her personal assassin. He despises every single thing he has done, buries his rage deep within every time he obeys her and embraces his darkest side just to keep his younger sister ‘152’ safe or one day to get her out of this hell. A promise he intends to keep no matter the amount of blood he has to shed.
As the years passed, I became a ghost in the night.Now that bitch wants him to capture Zaal, for killing her lover (Zaal’s former master) in any means possible to ensure his sister’s safety.
I became the deliverer of death.
I was torture.
I was pain.
I was the fucking nightmare that no one ever saw coming…
…until it was too late.
Zoey has been in hiding ever since she had survived the night that saw the downfall of Kostava Clan and massacred her entire family. When she finds out about Zaal and his survival, she risks her safety and identity to reunite with him after years of mourning her dear brother’s death.
Before she even gets a chance to meet him in person, Zoey is captured by this monstrous man and now held as his prisoner. He uses his torturous skills to find out her connection with Zaal and goes to any extent to get answers from her. But Zoey is resilient and holds her ground, never giving her captor the satisfaction of breaking her.
Ravage is another great addition to the Scarred Souls series, it has lived up to its name of delivering dark and tormented alpha male who is driven by rage and love towards his family.
Tillie Cole is master of words and emotions. This book is a total page tuner! while the brutality of certain scenes causes heart palpitation, the love blooming midst the horrific situation is beautiful feeling in itself; typical Tillie Cole’s signature, she makes you go through array of emotions every single time.
While Valentin and Zoey’s character shows lot of depth and complexity, their love for each other really didn’t connect with me. It was a case of insta-love, that made second half of the story less appealing to me. Nevertheless, it was intense, packed with enough suspense and drama to keep you on edge, plus characters from the previous books makes an appearance.
The most devastating part of the story for me was 152, Valentin’s baby sister ‘Inessa’. Her story is the next in this series. To read what happened to her from the flashbacks and through him was traumatising but to actually get into her head, to know all the abuse she endured, would be death of me!
I don’t care if I die reading but I’ve to know if she got out of that hell and has a happy ending!
*ARC kindly provided by the St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley, for an honest review*
September 3, 2016
Review in english and portuguese
Resenha em inglês e portugu��s
*ARC provided by St. Martin's Press. Thank you!
5 "vory serdtsa" stars
I'm giving it full 5 stars. If I had more I would give it.
OMG! It was amazing. My heart was racing. When I finished it was almost 2am and I was full of energy ‘cause this book made me feel so much. Made me feel scared, tense, made me more understanding, made me fell in love... This was so intense!
Only keep reading this review if you have already read the first two books: RAZE and REAP.
RAVAGE begins exactly where REAP ended. Here, the story focuses on Zaal Kostava’s sister, Zoya, and the prisoner 194. As in the other books, despite the focus be on a different couple, the previous characters are not forgotten. They are all over in this.
The "194", as Zaal and Luka, was also kidnapped as a child, had his dignity ripped off and was created to be a torture and killing machine. However, he was not taken for this life alone. Unfortunately, his younger sister was also captured and used as blackmail against him several times. The next service 194 has to do is a form of revenge for the death of the leader of Jakhua Clan. His main target is Zaal. However, seeing Zoya unprotected, he kidnaps her and his mission is to try to get any kind of information he can from this woman.
The first two books had a dark vibe, but this one was much stronger. Some scenes were so intense that made me drop the kindle a bit to breathe. I honestly, at the beginning of the book, thought I would not like this story. I thought what was about to come would be unforgivable. However, the famale character, Zoya made me change my mind. I began to see things as her and start to accept what was happening. I started hating the prisoner and at the end he stole my heart.
RAVAGE was much more tense and intense than the others. I was very nervous, I was afraid of what was about to happen. This kind of feeling can drive away readers, but I love stories that make me feel all of what the characters are feeling, that makes me worried about them. Those stories make us forget what are around us and we get deep into the story. I finished the book wanting to become Raze and break all the necks of everyone who have done something evil to those three guys.
And the love conflict? OMG! Two broken people, f*cked up, in an absurd situation, and yet, they were able to see beyond the scars of one another. It is the kind of situation that clearly shows that that famous phrase is correct: that even a flower can grow through the asphalt. The story of these two was very difficult to read, but Zoya is a determined woman, and even having lived protected and hidden, it shows she has the blood of a child of mobsters running through her veins. She endured so much, but always with a plan, with a trump card.
And what about the prisoner 194? (I don’t like to call him by this number, but I will not say his name. It is so charming that it's more fun to discover while reading). At one point I wanted to take him in my arms and say "it'll be fine." It was heartbreaking to read his story.
What I like the most in this series is that it was like telling the story of the previous characters was as important as the new. The story of all of them is intertwined; it wouldn’t be RAVAGE without Luka, Kisa, Zaal and Talia. And I love this strong connection.
I've said it before, but I will say it again. Tillie Cole’s writing style is very good. The story flows. You don’t even notice the time passing. She has a rich text and everything fits perfectly. I read the special edition of the two-books--in-one "Scarred Souls: Raze & Reap" recently and having all the story fresh in my mind made me enjoy and understand it much more.
At the end of REAP I was shocked because I did not know it would have a sequel. And here I had the same shock. I really didn’t know that would have another book. I am very happy that I will have more of these broken men, but I am also frustrated that I have to wait.
I think the fans of this series will not be disappointed. It was perfect. I’m addicted to it.
--------
*ARC foi fornecido pela St. Martin's Press. Obrigada!
5 "vory serdtsa" estrelas
Estou dando 5 estrelas com muito gosto!!! Se tivesse mais estrelas eu daria.
OMG! Foi maravilhoso. Meu coração acelerou. Terminei de ler quase duas da manhã e fiquei cheia de energia porque esse livro me fez sentir tanto. Fiquei com medo, tensa, fui mais compreensiva, me apaixonei... Foi muito intenso.
Só continue lendo esta resenha se já tiver lido os dois primeiros livros: RAZE e REAP.
RAVAGE começa exatamente onde REAP parou. Aqui, a história foca na irmã de Zaal Kostava, Zoya, e do prisioneiro 194. Como nos outros livros, apesar do enfoque ser em outro casal, os personagens anteriores não são esquecidos. São presença mais que constante na história.
O “194”, como Zaal e Luka, também foi sequestrado quando criança, teve sua dignidade arrancada e foi criado para ser uma máquina de matar e torturar. Entretanto, não foi levado para essa vida sozinho. Infelizmente, sua irmã mais nova também foi capturada sendo usada como forma de chantagem várias vezes contra ele. O próximo serviço de 194 é uma forma de vingança pela morte do líder do Clã Jakhua. Seu alvo principal é Zaal. Todavia, ao ver Zoya dando bandeira, ele a sequestra e sua missão é tentar arrancar todo tipo de informação que puder da garota.
Os dois primeiros livros tiveram uma vibe dark, mas esse aqui foi muito mais forte. Tiveram cenas tão intensas que me fizeram largar o kindle um pouco para poder respirar. Eu, sinceramente, pelo começo do livro, achei que não ia gostar dessa história. Achei que o que estava por vir seria imperdoável. Entretanto, a própria personagem feminina, Zoya, conseguiu me fazer mudar de ideia. Comecei a enxergar as coisas como ela e consegui aceitar melhor o que estava acontecendo. Comecei odiando o prisioneiro e acabei com o coração roubado.
RAVAGE foi muito mais tenso e intenso que os outros. Eu fiquei muito nervosa com medo do que estava por vir. Esse tipo de sensação pode afastar leitores, mas eu amo histórias que me fazem sentir tudo que os personagens estão sentindo, que me deixa preocupada com eles. Aquelas histórias que a gente esquece o que está ao nosso redor e entra de cabeça. Eu terminei o livro querendo virar o Raze e quebrar pescoçinho de todos que fizeram mal para esses três.
E o conflito amoroso? OMG! Duas pessoas quebradas, f*didas pela vida, em uma situação absurda, e ainda sim, conseguem enxergar além das cicatrizes um do outro. É aquele tipo de situação que demonstra bem aquela famosa frase de que até uma flor consegue brotar no meio do asfalto. A história desses dois foi muito difícil de ler, mas Zoya é uma mulher determinada, e, mesmo tendo vivido protegida e escondida, ela mostra que tem o sangue de uma filha de mafiosos correndo nas veias. Ela aguentou tanta coisa, mas sempre com um plano, com uma carta na manga.
E o que dizer do prisioneiro 194? (Não gosto de chamá-lo pelo número, mas não irei dizer seu nome. É tão charmoso que é mais legal descobrir enquanto se lê). Em certo momento quis pegar ele no colo e dizer “vai ficar tudo bem”. Foi de doer o coração ler a história dele.
O que mais gosto nessa série é que continuar contando a história dos personagens anteriores é tão importante quanto dos novos. A história de todos está entrelaçada; não tem RAVAGE sem Luka, Kisa, Zaal e Talia. E eu amo a ligação forte que eles têm.
Eu já disse isso antes, mas volto a repetir. A escrita da Tillie Cole é muito boa. A história flui. Prende. Você nem percebe o tempo passando. Ela tem o texto rico e tudo se encaixa perfeitamente. Eu li a edição especial dos dois-primeiros-livros-em-um “Scarred Souls: Raze & Reap” há pouco tempo e ter tudo bem fresco na memória fez com que eu curtisse e os entendesse muito mais.
No final de REAP fiquei chocada porque não sabia que teria uma continuação. E aqui tive o mesmo choque. Eu realmente não sabia que teria um livro 4. Fico muito feliz que vou ter mais desses homens quebrados, mas também fico frustrada que vou ter que esperar.
Creio que os fãs dessa série não irão ficar desapontados. Foi perfeito. Tô viciada.
---------------------
* Pick a Book
facebook / instagram / twitter
pb.responde@gmail.com
Resenha em inglês e portugu��s
*ARC provided by St. Martin's Press. Thank you!
5 "vory serdtsa" stars
I'm giving it full 5 stars. If I had more I would give it.
OMG! It was amazing. My heart was racing. When I finished it was almost 2am and I was full of energy ‘cause this book made me feel so much. Made me feel scared, tense, made me more understanding, made me fell in love... This was so intense!
Only keep reading this review if you have already read the first two books: RAZE and REAP.
RAVAGE begins exactly where REAP ended. Here, the story focuses on Zaal Kostava’s sister, Zoya, and the prisoner 194. As in the other books, despite the focus be on a different couple, the previous characters are not forgotten. They are all over in this.
The "194", as Zaal and Luka, was also kidnapped as a child, had his dignity ripped off and was created to be a torture and killing machine. However, he was not taken for this life alone. Unfortunately, his younger sister was also captured and used as blackmail against him several times. The next service 194 has to do is a form of revenge for the death of the leader of Jakhua Clan. His main target is Zaal. However, seeing Zoya unprotected, he kidnaps her and his mission is to try to get any kind of information he can from this woman.
The first two books had a dark vibe, but this one was much stronger. Some scenes were so intense that made me drop the kindle a bit to breathe. I honestly, at the beginning of the book, thought I would not like this story. I thought what was about to come would be unforgivable. However, the famale character, Zoya made me change my mind. I began to see things as her and start to accept what was happening. I started hating the prisoner and at the end he stole my heart.
RAVAGE was much more tense and intense than the others. I was very nervous, I was afraid of what was about to happen. This kind of feeling can drive away readers, but I love stories that make me feel all of what the characters are feeling, that makes me worried about them. Those stories make us forget what are around us and we get deep into the story. I finished the book wanting to become Raze and break all the necks of everyone who have done something evil to those three guys.
And the love conflict? OMG! Two broken people, f*cked up, in an absurd situation, and yet, they were able to see beyond the scars of one another. It is the kind of situation that clearly shows that that famous phrase is correct: that even a flower can grow through the asphalt. The story of these two was very difficult to read, but Zoya is a determined woman, and even having lived protected and hidden, it shows she has the blood of a child of mobsters running through her veins. She endured so much, but always with a plan, with a trump card.
And what about the prisoner 194? (I don’t like to call him by this number, but I will not say his name. It is so charming that it's more fun to discover while reading). At one point I wanted to take him in my arms and say "it'll be fine." It was heartbreaking to read his story.
What I like the most in this series is that it was like telling the story of the previous characters was as important as the new. The story of all of them is intertwined; it wouldn’t be RAVAGE without Luka, Kisa, Zaal and Talia. And I love this strong connection.
I've said it before, but I will say it again. Tillie Cole’s writing style is very good. The story flows. You don’t even notice the time passing. She has a rich text and everything fits perfectly. I read the special edition of the two-books--in-one "Scarred Souls: Raze & Reap" recently and having all the story fresh in my mind made me enjoy and understand it much more.
At the end of REAP I was shocked because I did not know it would have a sequel. And here I had the same shock. I really didn’t know that would have another book. I am very happy that I will have more of these broken men, but I am also frustrated that I have to wait.
I think the fans of this series will not be disappointed. It was perfect. I’m addicted to it.
--------
*ARC foi fornecido pela St. Martin's Press. Obrigada!
5 "vory serdtsa" estrelas
Estou dando 5 estrelas com muito gosto!!! Se tivesse mais estrelas eu daria.
OMG! Foi maravilhoso. Meu coração acelerou. Terminei de ler quase duas da manhã e fiquei cheia de energia porque esse livro me fez sentir tanto. Fiquei com medo, tensa, fui mais compreensiva, me apaixonei... Foi muito intenso.
Só continue lendo esta resenha se já tiver lido os dois primeiros livros: RAZE e REAP.
RAVAGE começa exatamente onde REAP parou. Aqui, a história foca na irmã de Zaal Kostava, Zoya, e do prisioneiro 194. Como nos outros livros, apesar do enfoque ser em outro casal, os personagens anteriores não são esquecidos. São presença mais que constante na história.
O “194”, como Zaal e Luka, também foi sequestrado quando criança, teve sua dignidade arrancada e foi criado para ser uma máquina de matar e torturar. Entretanto, não foi levado para essa vida sozinho. Infelizmente, sua irmã mais nova também foi capturada sendo usada como forma de chantagem várias vezes contra ele. O próximo serviço de 194 é uma forma de vingança pela morte do líder do Clã Jakhua. Seu alvo principal é Zaal. Todavia, ao ver Zoya dando bandeira, ele a sequestra e sua missão é tentar arrancar todo tipo de informação que puder da garota.
Os dois primeiros livros tiveram uma vibe dark, mas esse aqui foi muito mais forte. Tiveram cenas tão intensas que me fizeram largar o kindle um pouco para poder respirar. Eu, sinceramente, pelo começo do livro, achei que não ia gostar dessa história. Achei que o que estava por vir seria imperdoável. Entretanto, a própria personagem feminina, Zoya, conseguiu me fazer mudar de ideia. Comecei a enxergar as coisas como ela e consegui aceitar melhor o que estava acontecendo. Comecei odiando o prisioneiro e acabei com o coração roubado.
RAVAGE foi muito mais tenso e intenso que os outros. Eu fiquei muito nervosa com medo do que estava por vir. Esse tipo de sensação pode afastar leitores, mas eu amo histórias que me fazem sentir tudo que os personagens estão sentindo, que me deixa preocupada com eles. Aquelas histórias que a gente esquece o que está ao nosso redor e entra de cabeça. Eu terminei o livro querendo virar o Raze e quebrar pescoçinho de todos que fizeram mal para esses três.
E o conflito amoroso? OMG! Duas pessoas quebradas, f*didas pela vida, em uma situação absurda, e ainda sim, conseguem enxergar além das cicatrizes um do outro. É aquele tipo de situação que demonstra bem aquela famosa frase de que até uma flor consegue brotar no meio do asfalto. A história desses dois foi muito difícil de ler, mas Zoya é uma mulher determinada, e, mesmo tendo vivido protegida e escondida, ela mostra que tem o sangue de uma filha de mafiosos correndo nas veias. Ela aguentou tanta coisa, mas sempre com um plano, com uma carta na manga.
E o que dizer do prisioneiro 194? (Não gosto de chamá-lo pelo número, mas não irei dizer seu nome. É tão charmoso que é mais legal descobrir enquanto se lê). Em certo momento quis pegar ele no colo e dizer “vai ficar tudo bem”. Foi de doer o coração ler a história dele.
O que mais gosto nessa série é que continuar contando a história dos personagens anteriores é tão importante quanto dos novos. A história de todos está entrelaçada; não tem RAVAGE sem Luka, Kisa, Zaal e Talia. E eu amo a ligação forte que eles têm.
Eu já disse isso antes, mas volto a repetir. A escrita da Tillie Cole é muito boa. A história flui. Prende. Você nem percebe o tempo passando. Ela tem o texto rico e tudo se encaixa perfeitamente. Eu li a edição especial dos dois-primeiros-livros-em-um “Scarred Souls: Raze & Reap” há pouco tempo e ter tudo bem fresco na memória fez com que eu curtisse e os entendesse muito mais.
No final de REAP fiquei chocada porque não sabia que teria uma continuação. E aqui tive o mesmo choque. Eu realmente não sabia que teria um livro 4. Fico muito feliz que vou ter mais desses homens quebrados, mas também fico frustrada que vou ter que esperar.
Creio que os fãs dessa série não irão ficar desapontados. Foi perfeito. Tô viciada.
---------------------
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September 2, 2016
4.5 My Beautiful Monster Stars****
(ARC kindly provided by author via Netgalley)
Dark and thrilling , Ravage was sweet torture to all my senses. Tillie Cole's writing style goes up to another level with this story, solidifying her as one of my most favorite authors. She owned my heart with every single word of this novel, simply breathtaking!!!!
194 was kidnapped as a young boy and taken to a horrible place where through treatments of daily doses of obedience drugs and torture methods he was made into a dangerous killer. These awful drugs were designed to erase the memory, and create total obedience in those who are expose to it. 194 discovered that even though the drugs gave him the violence they were intended for, his memory was not affected. Everyday he remembered his little sister, and how she too, was trapped in that dark hell where they were captive and made into monsters and slaves of hate and greed.
194's Mistress has given him a new hit; he's been sent to New York to kill a man and upon the completion of his mission, he has been promise to see his sister. This man he needs to kill is Zaal Kostava an important man in the Russian mafia, which means he is heavily protected, so instead of taking him he takes his sister Zoya. He doesn't know is his sister he has taken, he just knows it must been someone important to Zaal.
194 takes the girl captive into a chamber where he plans to torture the truth out of her, what he doesn't know is that, more than a mafia Princess, Zoya is a warrior, someone who has been through a lot of pain and difficulties and has learn to fight and cope like a true soldier.
Even though one might look like a monster and the other one is a beauty, these two characters have more in common than they think. Both broken souls, who can fight and withstand even the worst of pain. Zoya will see something inside the monster that other person can see, a human heart who is just looking to be free. As these two characters unlock their hearts, unexpected feeling will burn hot, opening a new door that gives them hope.
I was in pins and needles the whole time I was reading. The thrill and the passion inside the story kept me at the edge of my sit throuout. I highlighted countless paragraphs that made my blood burn hot and my heart beat faster, making me feel as if I was inside the cage with the characters of the story.
Even though there's a recurring theme, and all the characters from previous stories are also present in this book, Tillie's talent and creatitivity, brings us something different every time. You'll never feel like you are reading more of the same, always exciting and explosive yet unique each time, I just love this series.
Definitely a must read!!!!
(ARC kindly provided by author via Netgalley)
Dark and thrilling , Ravage was sweet torture to all my senses. Tillie Cole's writing style goes up to another level with this story, solidifying her as one of my most favorite authors. She owned my heart with every single word of this novel, simply breathtaking!!!!
194 was kidnapped as a young boy and taken to a horrible place where through treatments of daily doses of obedience drugs and torture methods he was made into a dangerous killer. These awful drugs were designed to erase the memory, and create total obedience in those who are expose to it. 194 discovered that even though the drugs gave him the violence they were intended for, his memory was not affected. Everyday he remembered his little sister, and how she too, was trapped in that dark hell where they were captive and made into monsters and slaves of hate and greed.
194's Mistress has given him a new hit; he's been sent to New York to kill a man and upon the completion of his mission, he has been promise to see his sister. This man he needs to kill is Zaal Kostava an important man in the Russian mafia, which means he is heavily protected, so instead of taking him he takes his sister Zoya. He doesn't know is his sister he has taken, he just knows it must been someone important to Zaal.
194 takes the girl captive into a chamber where he plans to torture the truth out of her, what he doesn't know is that, more than a mafia Princess, Zoya is a warrior, someone who has been through a lot of pain and difficulties and has learn to fight and cope like a true soldier.
Even though one might look like a monster and the other one is a beauty, these two characters have more in common than they think. Both broken souls, who can fight and withstand even the worst of pain. Zoya will see something inside the monster that other person can see, a human heart who is just looking to be free. As these two characters unlock their hearts, unexpected feeling will burn hot, opening a new door that gives them hope.
I was in pins and needles the whole time I was reading. The thrill and the passion inside the story kept me at the edge of my sit throuout. I highlighted countless paragraphs that made my blood burn hot and my heart beat faster, making me feel as if I was inside the cage with the characters of the story.
Even though there's a recurring theme, and all the characters from previous stories are also present in this book, Tillie's talent and creatitivity, brings us something different every time. You'll never feel like you are reading more of the same, always exciting and explosive yet unique each time, I just love this series.
Definitely a must read!!!!
September 21, 2016
3.5 -finally finished- stars
I always need to mentally prepare myself before diving into any Tillie Cole book, because she always finds a genius way of beating me in the face with a big depression stick. BUT I love it cos I'm a masochist :) This one wasn't a favourite of mine but as always; it was very well written and made sure most of my questionable loose ends were tied.
Now, I already had a notion that this book would be a Stockholm trope and although it's not a favourite in my bag off fluffy tastes, I have been known to enjoy a well developed, swoony, captor/victim love story in my time (although swoony isn't really the right word to use in this kinda trope... but I digress). Unfortunately as good as the author gave us 2 individually well developed characters - including a super redeemable hero; I just didn't buy the captive-to-love time span or get the swoons no matter how much credibility to the MC's and storyline the author gave.
Still, a recommended read for anyone who is a huge fan of this series and for those wanting some background to the next book coming up.
Multiple POV's and should be read in series order that the author intended.
I always need to mentally prepare myself before diving into any Tillie Cole book, because she always finds a genius way of beating me in the face with a big depression stick. BUT I love it cos I'm a masochist :) This one wasn't a favourite of mine but as always; it was very well written and made sure most of my questionable loose ends were tied.
Now, I already had a notion that this book would be a Stockholm trope and although it's not a favourite in my bag off fluffy tastes, I have been known to enjoy a well developed, swoony, captor/victim love story in my time (although swoony isn't really the right word to use in this kinda trope... but I digress). Unfortunately as good as the author gave us 2 individually well developed characters - including a super redeemable hero; I just didn't buy the captive-to-love time span or get the swoons no matter how much credibility to the MC's and storyline the author gave.
Still, a recommended read for anyone who is a huge fan of this series and for those wanting some background to the next book coming up.
Multiple POV's and should be read in series order that the author intended.
June 6, 2020
Finally a book where the protagonists grows emotional connection. I didn't had much hope for this book. However, it turned out okay.
It's dark and captivating but I think this series a little bit too dark for me.
It's dark and captivating but I think this series a little bit too dark for me.
August 11, 2016
★★★ 3 Stars ★★★
I have a strange relationship with this series, I absolutely loved Raze which is where readers are first introduced to the Volkova and Durov families of the Bratva of New York, and the bitter war between the Russians and the Georgians. Luka was the first of the survivors of the gulags, where men are trained from young boys to fight to the death, under the influence of a man-made drug that enhances their fighting instincts and suppresses their feelings of empathy or remorse.
When Tillie Cole announced that this was to turn into a series, I was eager to read about the other characters that were so tortured and brutal, and hopefully find a way out of their horrific lives.
Whilst I don't mind the occasional instance of 'instalove' I am afraid to say that in the case of this series, it really doesn't work for me, and I am finding as each book is published, that the speed of their feelings, and the lack of self-preservation from the female characters, are just a little too unbelievable for me to get past.
Saying that, the storyline is very good, and the sex scenes are top notch. If you are a fan of the suspense style romances, then this is definitely a series to get reading.
Ravage is the third book in a series which follows different couples. Cannot be read as a standalone. A dark erotic romance.
ARC gratefully received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Images featured in this review were created by me using stock images either purchased from deposit photo or from free stock sites.
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I have a strange relationship with this series, I absolutely loved Raze which is where readers are first introduced to the Volkova and Durov families of the Bratva of New York, and the bitter war between the Russians and the Georgians. Luka was the first of the survivors of the gulags, where men are trained from young boys to fight to the death, under the influence of a man-made drug that enhances their fighting instincts and suppresses their feelings of empathy or remorse.
When Tillie Cole announced that this was to turn into a series, I was eager to read about the other characters that were so tortured and brutal, and hopefully find a way out of their horrific lives.
Whilst I don't mind the occasional instance of 'instalove' I am afraid to say that in the case of this series, it really doesn't work for me, and I am finding as each book is published, that the speed of their feelings, and the lack of self-preservation from the female characters, are just a little too unbelievable for me to get past.
Saying that, the storyline is very good, and the sex scenes are top notch. If you are a fan of the suspense style romances, then this is definitely a series to get reading.
Ravage is the third book in a series which follows different couples. Cannot be read as a standalone. A dark erotic romance.
ARC gratefully received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Images featured in this review were created by me using stock images either purchased from deposit photo or from free stock sites.
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