***5 ‘You are in my scarred soul’ Stars***
From how Ravage ended and knowing that 152 was a Mona, sex slave, I knew that this one would be hard to stomach, not that the previous three were, but this was the first time we would be in the mind of a female slave and if you thought Raze, Reap and Ravage were dark and disturbing you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Tillie Cole unapologetically went balls to the wall with Riot, proving once again why she is not only one of my favorite authors, but one of my favorite dark romance authors out there.
It was hard not to bleed for 901 and 152. Both were taken by the Wraiths at a young age and through drugs and fear molded into what Master Arziani wanted them to be. 901 is the Champion of the Blood Pit and 152 is one of the most beautiful of all the Mona. Both are coveted by Arziani because they, in his delusional mind, are a physical representation of his Godhood. What he doesn’t see is the inner strength that simmers in both of them that, if ever let to boil over could lead to his downfall. The thing with these two is that underneath the layers of protection they had to cast over themselves to survive were two people with amazing hearts that deserved to get out of that hell hole by any means necessary.
As with the previous books, there is a kind of insta-lust that happens between the characters that hits them both and then they are off and running towards their HEA, but of all the couples I felt that 901 and 152 were so evenly matched that it made absolute sense to me that they would end up falling in love with each other. They may be used in different ways, but they both live the horror of it every day and in each other they find a soulmate who will understand exactly what they went through and what they had to do to survive.
With this being the last book in the series, to say shit hits the fan is an understatement, but the end result is absolutely satisfying. Luka, Zaal and Valentin play critical roles in the book as do their women, Kisa, Talia and Zoya and I loved what was shown to us in the epilogue. I will reiterate, Riot is dark, brutal, crazy and chock full of triggers, but it’s all worth it in the end, if you can suspend reality for a few hours. Also, this is not a standalone, don’t start here. Go back and read from the beginning so you can truly appreciate this brutal world and how love can grow in it. The fact that this is the last book is bittersweet for me. Raze was my first introduction to the world of Tillie Cole and I was hooked, so to say good-bye to these characters is difficult, though I do give Ms. Cole mad props for not dragging the storyline out unnecessarily, but at least I can console myself with the fact that there are audiobooks so I can dive back into the crazyness whenever I need a fix, especially of Raze/Luka.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley ~
Stolen by the Arziani Georgian crime mob as a child, 152 was raised and conditioned to be a Mona—the most subservient of the Arziani Blood Pit slaves.
Gorgeous and kind, she has been and under the imprisoning influence of the Type B drug and under the command of the Blood Pit Master’s sister, Mistress Arziani, for most of her life, until the Master calls her back home to Georgia.
He wants her under his total control, and Master always gets what he wants.
But when 152 is gifted to the Blood Pit’s fearsome champion death match fighter as a prize, 152 suddenly finds out that the men who appear most brutal, may just own the kindest hearts. And love may be found, even when living in hell.
Freedom, family, love, 152 will have to fight for what she wants and ultimately make an impossible choice.
Book Summary
Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance
Published By: St. Martin’s Griffen
Release Date: March 7th, 2017
Pages: 352
Series: Scarred Souls #4
ISBN: 1250086280
Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.
After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.
Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.
Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.
When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.
After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.
Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.
Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.
When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.
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