Rating: 4 out of 5.

4.5 stars

Wow. wow. wow. wow. What a fantastic book! I don’t read many dark fantasy romance books, but maybe I should start. Jane is a young woman that fled Skull Row 10 years ago, home to thieves and killers and mercenary rulers called Zeniths. The village she’s hiding out in is set aflame and she’s captured by one of the most ruthless mercenaries, Soren. His job is to return her to Skull Row to face the Council. They haven’t told him why, which he doesn’t like. Most of the book is their journey back to Skull Row until the climatic cliffhanger. It’s a vicious story, filled with a lot of action and fighting. It’s definitely not for the squeamish.

I loved Jane and Soren. Jane is fierce, dangerous and does not hesitate to fight first and ask questions later. She’s just as brutal as Soren, and is instantly drawn to him because of it. She doesn’t trust anyone and despite her attraction to Soren, can’t allow herself to let her guard down. Soren is brutal, ruthless and gets what he wants. He doesn’t suffer fools and he doesn’t ask twice. Inexplicably, he’s drawn to Jane and fiercely protective of her, a feeling he’s not accustom to. Neither can show weakness, neither is used to wanting comfort or affection, and yet that’s what both secretly crave. Jane and Soren are brutal characters. There is nothing touchy feely about them. But, in their own way, they slowly start to care about each other.

The book is focused mostly on the characters in the book and their relationships, although the author has created a very interesting world. The worldbuilding is done throughout the book, although the magic system is not explained at all. I hope the next book provides more insight into that. In addition to Jane and Soren, several side characters provide depth to the story. I didn’t want this book to end and can’t wait to see how it ends.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Breys Book Tour and the author. All opinions are my own.