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Mafia Wars #6
Blade of Iris
I was sold to my enemies.
The Volkov’s are the nightmares they warned me of as a child, the ones they spoke of in the dark in hushed tones. Traitors and killers—the boogeymen themselves—sent to scare children like me; the children of their enemies.
I'm a Kelly. A family that they have been at war with since before I was born. Now, I am to marry into the Bratva Pigs; to become their blushing bride. It's my father's plan, and theirs as well. A marriage to create peace. To unite the families and end the bloodshed once and for all. We are a symbol of hope, of the future, of harmony.
I have other ideas.
I’m going to make these Vegas Kings fall. I’m going to kill the Volkov’s and serve their hearts up on a platter for my father. They won’t see it coming. The blade of iris will be their end, even if it starts the Mafia Wars.
Blade of Iris is a reverse harem novel in the dark and twisted Mafia Wars world. It is recommended for mature listeners.
The Volkov’s are the nightmares they warned me of as a child, the ones they spoke of in the dark in hushed tones. Traitors and killers—the boogeymen themselves—sent to scare children like me; the children of their enemies.
I'm a Kelly. A family that they have been at war with since before I was born. Now, I am to marry into the Bratva Pigs; to become their blushing bride. It's my father's plan, and theirs as well. A marriage to create peace. To unite the families and end the bloodshed once and for all. We are a symbol of hope, of the future, of harmony.
I have other ideas.
I’m going to make these Vegas Kings fall. I’m going to kill the Volkov’s and serve their hearts up on a platter for my father. They won’t see it coming. The blade of iris will be their end, even if it starts the Mafia Wars.
Blade of Iris is a reverse harem novel in the dark and twisted Mafia Wars world. It is recommended for mature listeners.
16 pages, Audible Audio
First published March 18, 2022
947 people are currently reading
7523 people want to read
About the author
K.A. Knight
95 books12.9k followersK.A Knight is a Romance author from a little town in England. She writes the monsters you love to hate. The crazier the better.
She loves her fur babies, coffee and a good book. Katie also has an obsession with monster flicks, and plans to re-watch them all!
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http://eepurl.com/drLLoj
She loves her fur babies, coffee and a good book. Katie also has an obsession with monster flicks, and plans to re-watch them all!
Facebook Reader Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/Katie...
Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/KatieKnightA...
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/katieknight...
http://eepurl.com/drLLoj
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 505 reviews
March 21, 2022
Forget me bombshell should have been a stand-alone and not be a part of this embarrassment of a series. Kind if insulting to FMNB also embarrassing how forget me not bombshell is the only good book in this whole series with a good plot, actually badass heroine and amazing heroes and captivating writing.
Tf was this book idk. Also Iris is annoying af. She claims to be badass, like girl learn from ur husband’s sister what badass is 😭.
Tf was this book idk. Also Iris is annoying af. She claims to be badass, like girl learn from ur husband’s sister what badass is 😭.
June 4, 2022
This was just not it. I'm actually surprised that K.A Knight wrote this. I honestly thought this one would top the previous book in this series. So imagine my surprise at how much I didn't like this that I went back to my review of Forget-Me-Not Bombshell to give it 5 stars instead of 4 because hell, Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti "carried" this entire series.
So I've been looking forward to Iris' story since Binding Rose and was quite disappointed because I didn't realize that Iris' story would be the last book in a series of mafia books. But reading this book, I almost felt disconnected from everything that happened here. Hell, DOV was more entertaining than this! I was bored most of the time and resorted to skimming because that's how much I disliked this book. Even the smut couldn't save this book for me! I guess I liked the brief vision of Iris that Ivy Fox gave in Binding Rose and not the one written by Knight.
I also hate how Anya wasn't included in a lot of the back story. For example, the guys' mother had a birthday present for Nikolay before she was killed by their dad. Nikolay opens it years later and it ends up being a picture of the brothers with their mother. Now this made me confused because Anya was very much a part of their family for years before their mother died and she was also present when their mother died because Zakhar made her wear headphones to block out the sound of her getting murdered.
Inconsistencies to talk about between the books? I was extra pissed at the epilogue when Gabriel Rossi wasn't mentioned to be a part of their "party"! It's like Knight didn't know that the Rossi brothers included Lucian, Raphael AND Gabriel. And here's where multiple authors writing a series of books NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER. I mean..knowing the lead characters in each book is the bare minimum right?!
So I've been looking forward to Iris' story since Binding Rose and was quite disappointed because I didn't realize that Iris' story would be the last book in a series of mafia books. But reading this book, I almost felt disconnected from everything that happened here. Hell, DOV was more entertaining than this! I was bored most of the time and resorted to skimming because that's how much I disliked this book. Even the smut couldn't save this book for me! I guess I liked the brief vision of Iris that Ivy Fox gave in Binding Rose and not the one written by Knight.
I also hate how Anya wasn't included in a lot of the back story. For example, the guys' mother had a birthday present for Nikolay before she was killed by their dad. Nikolay opens it years later and it ends up being a picture of the brothers with their mother. Now this made me confused because Anya was very much a part of their family for years before their mother died and she was also present when their mother died because Zakhar made her wear headphones to block out the sound of her getting murdered.
Inconsistencies to talk about between the books? I was extra pissed at the epilogue when Gabriel Rossi wasn't mentioned to be a part of their "party"! It's like Knight didn't know that the Rossi brothers included Lucian, Raphael AND Gabriel. And here's where multiple authors writing a series of books NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER. I mean..knowing the lead characters in each book is the bare minimum right?!
September 4, 2022
This was super entertaining but entirely too long. Like it could have easily been cut by half and lost nothing to it. There was so much sex filler and while hot it quickly got repetitive without really moving the story forward. I loved the fist half and I dragged a bit through the second. However, I still enjoyed the hell out of this one.
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March 29, 2022
It’s been awhile since I read a Ka RH book and this one was pretty good!!! Few things bugged me but I really loved the characters I let it slide alittle.
The families made a deal years ago when the daughters where of age they be married to have peace with the families, when Iris heads to be married she has a plan is to be a meek wife and kill her husbands to be free and someone paid her to since she’s a assassin. She played it well but the head brother Alexi caught on pretty fast his wife was no wall flower and he loved it. Their chemistry was so good the spice between them had me panting, as for the other brothers Zakhar was the sweetheart who wanted to worship Iris from the start he was still rough but sweet on in the inside. And the last brother… Nikolay I swear this man had so much guilt and pain from what his asshole father did to him. These 4 caught there attractions to one another Iris tried to keep her secret of killing her husbands but was falling.. and when she’s betrayed there coming after her and them. But with her lying the trust is broken.. cold shoulders, almost killing one another and flaunting ow (one brother did he let them rub against him and touch him nothing more) to make Iris heartbroken and jealous.
My heart broke for all of them there was one scene that has one H torturing h so be warned I thought they wouldn’t get there hea.. with all that against them and someone dying.. I was glad they had each others back to them awhile… but glad they did at the end.
Angst, No om but tiny ow (One H flirted to punish the h when she betrayed them), slight secondary chars, drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶🌶
Prologue
Slow burn
Push away from all
Sharing
MF MFMM MFM
DVP
Violence
Anal play/sex
Orgasm denial
Dub-con
Death
Knife play
Torture
Somnophilia
Punishments
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
The families made a deal years ago when the daughters where of age they be married to have peace with the families, when Iris heads to be married she has a plan is to be a meek wife and kill her husbands to be free and someone paid her to since she’s a assassin. She played it well but the head brother Alexi caught on pretty fast his wife was no wall flower and he loved it. Their chemistry was so good the spice between them had me panting, as for the other brothers Zakhar was the sweetheart who wanted to worship Iris from the start he was still rough but sweet on in the inside. And the last brother… Nikolay I swear this man had so much guilt and pain from what his asshole father did to him. These 4 caught there attractions to one another Iris tried to keep her secret of killing her husbands but was falling.. and when she’s betrayed there coming after her and them. But with her lying the trust is broken.. cold shoulders, almost killing one another and flaunting ow (one brother did he let them rub against him and touch him nothing more) to make Iris heartbroken and jealous.
My heart broke for all of them there was one scene that has one H torturing h so be warned I thought they wouldn’t get there hea.. with all that against them and someone dying.. I was glad they had each others back to them awhile… but glad they did at the end.
Angst, No om but tiny ow (One H flirted to punish the h when she betrayed them), slight secondary chars, drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶🌶
Prologue
Slow burn
Push away from all
Sharing
MF MFMM MFM
DVP
Violence
Anal play/sex
Orgasm denial
Dub-con
Death
Knife play
Torture
Somnophilia
Punishments
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
April 2, 2022
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. KA Knight’s other book, Den of Vipers, is one of those notorious reads where it seems like everyone either loves it or hates it…but I didn't, it was a 3 star read for me, and so is this one from her. It’s not the worst thing I’ve read, but it’s also nothing special.
Similar to the other standalone RH books in this “Mafia Wars” series, the premise is that the daughter of one crime family (in this case, Iris is with the Irish mob in Boston) gets sent to marry into a rival one (in this case, the Bratva in Las Vegas) for the purpose of peace.
Iris is NOT a naïve girl, she’s the bold, ass-kicking type…and unlike Anya (the Bratva sister who was the heroine of the best book in this series, Forget-Me-Not Bombshell) Iris IS a “tough girl” type in a way that’s annoying. She brags about being a skilled assassin, and how she’s going to pretend to be demure, trick her new husbands, and then kill them…but she’s very bad at every part of this plan! In some real clown behavior, she announces her intentions almost immediately. Few character traits are more irritating than when they brag about being kick-ass, and then don’t back that up with any skill. Iris isn’t the worst “tough girl” heroine that's out there– I’ve seen worse, I've read F*ckboy Psychos! - but she DOES fall into that category of being the worst brand of tough girl heroine.
Now for the guys. This is the kind of RH where it feels uneven, like only one of the guys (in this case, Alexi) is relevant, and has chemistry and an interesting relationship with the heroine. For the other 2 brothers, Nikolay is the dark troubled one in a way that feels too exaggerated, like the author is trying too hard to make him hardcore (which feels similar to Diesel from Den of Vipers). Zakhar is the cheerful one in a way that also feels too exaggerated, like he’s too much of a sunshine person to plausibly be part of this mob family that has a scary rep. The two of them feel like they’re less relevant add-ons to Iris and Alexi’s relationship, for the sake of making this book RH.
Anyway, I’m making this book sound very bad and it’s not, really. It’s just not very good because Iris is an irritating heroine and the plot hinges on her incompetence at her plan to kill them, after she’s talked a big game about it – but, the narrative itself weirdly doesn’t show much awareness that she IS incompetent. It’s never good when a story isn’t self-aware about its characters.
There's also some bizarre character behavior inconsistencies. Like, early in the story, Alexi learns something about Iris. He doesn't act like it's a very big deal, he kind of waves it off, but he also questions her about it. So there are multiple scenes establishing that he knows this information and is not freaking out about it! But THEN later on, he acts like it's a massive shocking reveal that he's learning for the first time and is hurt about. It makes no sense, since he already knew this information! Like, what? Did the author forget what she wrote in the first part when she was writing the second part, and nobody caught it in the edit?
But the scenes between Iris and Alexi are good, and it’s a fine enough read if you'e in the mood for a dark standalone RH with a crime setting. But it’s not the best book in this shared world - Alexi, Nikolay, and Zakhar's sister has a better book in Forget-Me-Not Bombshell and even Iris' brothers get a better book, since Binding Rose is unique. And I’m not sure that this is even as fun of a ride as Den of Vipers. So, a resounding Meh.
Similar to the other standalone RH books in this “Mafia Wars” series, the premise is that the daughter of one crime family (in this case, Iris is with the Irish mob in Boston) gets sent to marry into a rival one (in this case, the Bratva in Las Vegas) for the purpose of peace.
Iris is NOT a naïve girl, she’s the bold, ass-kicking type…and unlike Anya (the Bratva sister who was the heroine of the best book in this series, Forget-Me-Not Bombshell) Iris IS a “tough girl” type in a way that’s annoying. She brags about being a skilled assassin, and how she’s going to pretend to be demure, trick her new husbands, and then kill them…but she’s very bad at every part of this plan! In some real clown behavior, she announces her intentions almost immediately. Few character traits are more irritating than when they brag about being kick-ass, and then don’t back that up with any skill. Iris isn’t the worst “tough girl” heroine that's out there– I’ve seen worse, I've read F*ckboy Psychos! - but she DOES fall into that category of being the worst brand of tough girl heroine.
Now for the guys. This is the kind of RH where it feels uneven, like only one of the guys (in this case, Alexi) is relevant, and has chemistry and an interesting relationship with the heroine. For the other 2 brothers, Nikolay is the dark troubled one in a way that feels too exaggerated, like the author is trying too hard to make him hardcore (which feels similar to Diesel from Den of Vipers). Zakhar is the cheerful one in a way that also feels too exaggerated, like he’s too much of a sunshine person to plausibly be part of this mob family that has a scary rep. The two of them feel like they’re less relevant add-ons to Iris and Alexi’s relationship, for the sake of making this book RH.
Anyway, I’m making this book sound very bad and it’s not, really. It’s just not very good because Iris is an irritating heroine and the plot hinges on her incompetence at her plan to kill them, after she’s talked a big game about it – but, the narrative itself weirdly doesn’t show much awareness that she IS incompetent. It’s never good when a story isn’t self-aware about its characters.
There's also some bizarre character behavior inconsistencies. Like, early in the story, Alexi learns something about Iris. He doesn't act like it's a very big deal, he kind of waves it off, but he also questions her about it. So there are multiple scenes establishing that he knows this information and is not freaking out about it! But THEN later on, he acts like it's a massive shocking reveal that he's learning for the first time and is hurt about. It makes no sense, since he already knew this information! Like, what? Did the author forget what she wrote in the first part when she was writing the second part, and nobody caught it in the edit?
But the scenes between Iris and Alexi are good, and it’s a fine enough read if you'e in the mood for a dark standalone RH with a crime setting. But it’s not the best book in this shared world - Alexi, Nikolay, and Zakhar's sister has a better book in Forget-Me-Not Bombshell and even Iris' brothers get a better book, since Binding Rose is unique. And I’m not sure that this is even as fun of a ride as Den of Vipers. So, a resounding Meh.
April 1, 2022
Usually I'm all for RH and girl power but here... I just didn't like the h.
Something was just not right :(
Something was just not right :(
March 25, 2022
** Arc received in exchange for an honest review **
***4 estrelas***
[...]
Iris é aquela mocinha que a gente ama ver em um livro, ela já sabia do casamento e em nenhum momento pensou em desistir, muito pelo contrário, ela foi para esse casamento pensando em interpretar o papel de moça indefesa e meiga, mas isso não durou muito tempo.
Alexi, Zakhar e Nikolay são os irmão e maridos da Iris, cada um deles com uma personalidade bem distinta e cada um com seus segredos. Eles não pensaram em deixar as coisas fáceis para Iris, mas também não imaginavam encontrar alguém a altura deles.
Iris vai para esse casamento com o único objetivo de matar os três, mas isso vai mudando no decorrer do livro e conforme eles vão se apegando um novo perigo acaba assombrando topos eles, principalmente Iris.
Esse não é o primeiro livro que leio da autora e com certeza não será o último, eu poderia passar horas falando de como a escrita da autora sempre me prende desde a primeira página ou até mesmo como as mocinhas dela sempre me conquistam e com certeza nesse livro não foi diferente.
A única coisa que me incomodou um pouco foi a forma que vi semelhança nesses personagens masculinos com os personagens de Den of Vipers, e muitas vezes até parecia a fusão deles.
Blade of Iris é um livro de máfia repleto de sangue e sexo, e muitas vezes esses elementos até estão juntos. Com uma mocinha que te conquista e personagens masculinos que te fazem duvidar dos seus gostos, Blade of Iris é o prato cheio para quem gosta de um livro de máfia com ação e cenas para lá de hots.
Resenha Completa no Blog
***4 estrelas***
[...]
Iris é aquela mocinha que a gente ama ver em um livro, ela já sabia do casamento e em nenhum momento pensou em desistir, muito pelo contrário, ela foi para esse casamento pensando em interpretar o papel de moça indefesa e meiga, mas isso não durou muito tempo.
Alexi, Zakhar e Nikolay são os irmão e maridos da Iris, cada um deles com uma personalidade bem distinta e cada um com seus segredos. Eles não pensaram em deixar as coisas fáceis para Iris, mas também não imaginavam encontrar alguém a altura deles.
Iris vai para esse casamento com o único objetivo de matar os três, mas isso vai mudando no decorrer do livro e conforme eles vão se apegando um novo perigo acaba assombrando topos eles, principalmente Iris.
Esse não é o primeiro livro que leio da autora e com certeza não será o último, eu poderia passar horas falando de como a escrita da autora sempre me prende desde a primeira página ou até mesmo como as mocinhas dela sempre me conquistam e com certeza nesse livro não foi diferente.
A única coisa que me incomodou um pouco foi a forma que vi semelhança nesses personagens masculinos com os personagens de Den of Vipers, e muitas vezes até parecia a fusão deles.
Blade of Iris é um livro de máfia repleto de sangue e sexo, e muitas vezes esses elementos até estão juntos. Com uma mocinha que te conquista e personagens masculinos que te fazem duvidar dos seus gostos, Blade of Iris é o prato cheio para quem gosta de um livro de máfia com ação e cenas para lá de hots.
Resenha Completa no Blog
March 11, 2022
ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS
Star Rating : 5/5 Stars
POV : Multiple
Cliffhanger : None
Hero : Nicolay , Alexie , Zakhar
Heroine : Iris
Pace of the story : Moderate
Angst Rating : 6/10
Heat Rating : 7/10
Triggers Involved : *to be updated after release
Plot Summary :
Iris had the one thing most mafia families did not have. A loving family. But still she was not spared. The treaty that made all the mafia daughters it’s victim had now come for her too. Except for her it was worse for her because she was to be married to the one family which had always been at war with hers. The sons of that family had only one aim. To break her. But if they thought they were getting a blushing bride , they were in for a big surprise. She was not a victim , she was their executioner and by the time they found out about this , it would be too late to save them.
What she didn’t expect was her three husbands. Nicolay , the crazy one. Alexie , the controlling one and Zakhar , the sweet one. All three of them were hell bent on owning her. THey were not the monsters others made them to be but just broken. If she broke her rule and spared them then it was a death sentence for her. If she did not then it might be one for them , either way the only way out of this for them was Death and Death only.
Overall Opinion :
Right from the moment I knew that one of my favorite authors of Reverse Harem was releasing another Mafia RH romance , I was all over it. I have been a huge fan of KA Knight from the moment I read The Den of Vipers by her. Her words have this amazing power to render me speechless all the time because her twisted characters always make me fall for them!
There were scenes when I hated the boys for their actions but a part of me knew that it would all work out in the end. I broke for them , cried for them but nothing could have prepared me for the amount of love I would feel for them in this book. Katie writes the most beautifully broken characters and they always manage to make me crazy. This book is the same. Iris was an absolute queen and I loved her strength so much! She knew she was going in the lion’s den but her skills and ruthlessness even left her husband speechless. They knew right away that she would never be something they owned but would be lucky if she considered owning them. I loved that!
The ending of the book gave me the perfect closure for this series as we had so many cameos from other series as well. These authors have created the best mafia world with this series and I just love them for it so much.
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June 13, 2025
When I first started this series I really wanted Iris’s book to be the second book, or at least not the last. I think it honestly was a great idea to make this the last book of the series. For one it made sure that I read the entire series (ik that I don’t need to read them in order but i prefer to) and secondly i think this was the best book to wrap up this series. I think the first book and maybe the one before this one and this one are the only books where i actually liked all the mmcs.
I especially loved Zakhar and totally wished that there were more chapters in his pov.
This book wasn’t perfect by any means and there were some scenes that were questionable or unnecessary, that made this book feel a little long.
But overall I enjoyed most of this series and this book and I might recommend it.
Enjoy 😘
I especially loved Zakhar and totally wished that there were more chapters in his pov.
This book wasn’t perfect by any means and there were some scenes that were questionable or unnecessary, that made this book feel a little long.
But overall I enjoyed most of this series and this book and I might recommend it.
Enjoy 😘
Read
March 24, 2022Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with this book. There was a heavy focus on the smut aspect without building any substantial chemistry among the heroes. The crime aspect seemed airy and unrealistic, as much as the author attempted to deliver a badass heroine.
I can't give this book an honest rating so I refrain from giving one all together.
I can't give this book an honest rating so I refrain from giving one all together.
March 18, 2022
OF COURSE Katie Knight made her female character anything but a damsel in distress being used as a pawn. Oh no, Iris is one bad ass bitch and I loved every second of it!
“Your dark little heart relishes the blood, but you like the fight just as much, don’t you, princess?”
OKAY SIR! Niko? Can I get one of those on Amazon ‘cause HOT DAMN! I loved him and his emotional damage. 🥵
I wasn’t expecting the emotional punch I got in this book either, but I loved it and felt it gave the story that much ‘more’. Hands down the best of the series!
“Your dark little heart relishes the blood, but you like the fight just as much, don’t you, princess?”
OKAY SIR! Niko? Can I get one of those on Amazon ‘cause HOT DAMN! I loved him and his emotional damage. 🥵
I wasn’t expecting the emotional punch I got in this book either, but I loved it and felt it gave the story that much ‘more’. Hands down the best of the series!
March 19, 2022
I live for KA Knight mafia stories! Every since Den of Vipers, I’ve been thirsty to get more mafia reverse harem dark and yummy goodness from her, and what a treat to get it in the form of this stellar story to finish off this amazing multi-author Mafia Wars collaboration. I ravenously flew through this girthy story, and it’s a new KA Knight favorite!
KA always writes such fantastic, ballsy, strong heroines- and Iris is a wonder. The glimpses we got of her in the other stories didn’t quite prepare me for the FORCE that is this heroine. The chemistry is volatile and captivating. The pushing and pulling, the toxic hate and captivating love, the emotional intensity- and hello all the erotic passion! The character relationships all have their own depth and unique tenor, I was transfixed by each interpersonal connection. Each brother stole my heart in their own way- broken, ruthless, dangerous alphas. And Iris has enough fire to stand up to and rival each of them- gah, she’s a fierce queen! And of course, we have plenty of action and suspense adding to the emotional intensity and tension that permeates the narrative. And of course, we have tons of smuttiness to intoxicate us along the way.
Like always, KA seamlessly combines riveting story telling and complex character arcs with the mafia action, while also having some real emotional edge. The feelings she evokes sneak up on you, the ways in which you’ll break for these characters as much as you burn for them, it’s part of her charm. Amidst all the insanity, the betrayal, the secrets and twists and turns, we have some awesome character articulation and thoughtful evolution- all learning how to embrace each other with more open hearts, while also learning a little self-acceptance.
This series has been so amazing- so many powerhouse authors telling such compelling stories. What a delicious compilation of fun, delicious, and darkly captivating stories- with the best for last!
KA always writes such fantastic, ballsy, strong heroines- and Iris is a wonder. The glimpses we got of her in the other stories didn’t quite prepare me for the FORCE that is this heroine. The chemistry is volatile and captivating. The pushing and pulling, the toxic hate and captivating love, the emotional intensity- and hello all the erotic passion! The character relationships all have their own depth and unique tenor, I was transfixed by each interpersonal connection. Each brother stole my heart in their own way- broken, ruthless, dangerous alphas. And Iris has enough fire to stand up to and rival each of them- gah, she’s a fierce queen! And of course, we have plenty of action and suspense adding to the emotional intensity and tension that permeates the narrative. And of course, we have tons of smuttiness to intoxicate us along the way.
Like always, KA seamlessly combines riveting story telling and complex character arcs with the mafia action, while also having some real emotional edge. The feelings she evokes sneak up on you, the ways in which you’ll break for these characters as much as you burn for them, it’s part of her charm. Amidst all the insanity, the betrayal, the secrets and twists and turns, we have some awesome character articulation and thoughtful evolution- all learning how to embrace each other with more open hearts, while also learning a little self-acceptance.
This series has been so amazing- so many powerhouse authors telling such compelling stories. What a delicious compilation of fun, delicious, and darkly captivating stories- with the best for last!
March 17, 2022
This book is gloriously dark. It'll push you to your limits for sure. I think it's going to be like marmite, I fucking loved it. I dont know what that says about me 😂 this is by far the darkest book. Just when you think damnnn that's fucked up.. its goes up a level. This book wont be for everyone... the smut is NEXT LEVEL. like, you could die by dick (literally) 😂 it's dark AF guys. Dont say I didnt warn you 😉
"They might be bigger, stronger and outnumber me, but I will fucking kill them all and burn this casino to the ground, all in my wedding dress. "
Firstly, our girl Iris is AN ABSOLUTE WEAPON!!! You havent met an FMC in this series like Iris yet, they are all badass in different ways but Iris is literally a weapon and PERFECTLY matched for our 3 monster Volkov's.
"She might have been a Kelly, but she fights like a Volkov."
"They love to kill, fuck and torture. They rule their city with iron fists, and nothing escapes them."
The foreplay in this book is insane!! SMOKING HOT!! I mean, it might not be for everyone but holy shit!! 🥵 if you want smut?! What are you waiting for, this book is oozing with it!! But I'll say it again, THIS BOOK GETS DARK!! The foreplay may disturb you if your on the more lighter side of things.. just remember Iris is just as much a monster as these guys, she practically begs for it and instigated it sooo... yeah. Heed the warning 🙃
The ending!!! 🥺🥺 soo bitter sweet and made me feel all sorts of emotional knowing it's all over!!! This mafia wars series has just been AMAZING. I've loved all of them. This one is up there with my favourites, I knew KA Knight wouldnt let us down 😁❤
"They might be bigger, stronger and outnumber me, but I will fucking kill them all and burn this casino to the ground, all in my wedding dress. "
Firstly, our girl Iris is AN ABSOLUTE WEAPON!!! You havent met an FMC in this series like Iris yet, they are all badass in different ways but Iris is literally a weapon and PERFECTLY matched for our 3 monster Volkov's.
"She might have been a Kelly, but she fights like a Volkov."
"They love to kill, fuck and torture. They rule their city with iron fists, and nothing escapes them."
The foreplay in this book is insane!! SMOKING HOT!! I mean, it might not be for everyone but holy shit!! 🥵 if you want smut?! What are you waiting for, this book is oozing with it!! But I'll say it again, THIS BOOK GETS DARK!! The foreplay may disturb you if your on the more lighter side of things.. just remember Iris is just as much a monster as these guys, she practically begs for it and instigated it sooo... yeah. Heed the warning 🙃
The ending!!! 🥺🥺 soo bitter sweet and made me feel all sorts of emotional knowing it's all over!!! This mafia wars series has just been AMAZING. I've loved all of them. This one is up there with my favourites, I knew KA Knight wouldnt let us down 😁❤
June 26, 2022
If you are looking for a fun and spicy reading experience, then… this book is for you.
This is book 6 in an interconnected series, where each book is written by a different author. I only picked up this book because I really enjoy reading KA Knight. I must say I was not disappointed. The concept of the series is that to maintain peace each crime family gave their daughter away to another family. I loved that Iris did not take her fate lying down and took advantage of the years and trained to defend herself. Great chemistry between the characters especially when Iris was planning to kill them. As expected from Knight’s RH books, the spice was perfect, and it had enough action to keep me interested.
I don’t know if I’ll read the rest of the books in the series, but I really loved this one.
This is book 6 in an interconnected series, where each book is written by a different author. I only picked up this book because I really enjoy reading KA Knight. I must say I was not disappointed. The concept of the series is that to maintain peace each crime family gave their daughter away to another family. I loved that Iris did not take her fate lying down and took advantage of the years and trained to defend herself. Great chemistry between the characters especially when Iris was planning to kill them. As expected from Knight’s RH books, the spice was perfect, and it had enough action to keep me interested.
I don’t know if I’ll read the rest of the books in the series, but I really loved this one.
September 2, 2023
I think I may have made the mistake of going into this book with high expectations. Unfortunately, that didn't do me any favors. It took me till the 60% progress to really feel the story pick up, but then I felt my interest drop again. It went down a predictable route and into soap opera waters with an edge of assassins here, assassins there, assassins everywhere.
I don't think this was my least favorite of the series, but it came close. I did enjoy Iris as a character, but the brothers left me feeling "meh" which feels horrible to say, but that's about the gist of it. But again, I blame that on my expectations more than anything else.
Some important notes that bear mentioning: reviews are highly subjective, including mine. My opinion is meant to give an overview of what I saw/felt when I read it. What I see might not be what you see, and what I don't like might be what you enjoy, which is fine. My advice to anyone looking into a book? Read the premise; if it interests you enough, give it a chance, and it may surprise you—or not, but at least then, you'll know.
I don't think this was my least favorite of the series, but it came close. I did enjoy Iris as a character, but the brothers left me feeling "meh" which feels horrible to say, but that's about the gist of it. But again, I blame that on my expectations more than anything else.
Some important notes that bear mentioning: reviews are highly subjective, including mine. My opinion is meant to give an overview of what I saw/felt when I read it. What I see might not be what you see, and what I don't like might be what you enjoy, which is fine. My advice to anyone looking into a book? Read the premise; if it interests you enough, give it a chance, and it may surprise you—or not, but at least then, you'll know.
January 16, 2023
DNF - hollow bragging from characters who don't deliver
I quit in the middle of the first sex scene, literally. No self-respecting, self-contained, successful or savvy assassin would be reduced to begging her supposed victim on their very first meeting. It makes Iris look like all of her big talk is hollow bragging that she cannot deliver on obviously and I lost ALL respect for that character. In fact, the inner monologue and dialogue all sounds like a bunch of trash talking teenagers who can't deliver on what their mouth says -- all attitude no action. In the end she just came off as pathetic with an over inflated sense of what she can actually do, and I lost interest in going any farther, and quit on page 81.
I quit in the middle of the first sex scene, literally. No self-respecting, self-contained, successful or savvy assassin would be reduced to begging her supposed victim on their very first meeting. It makes Iris look like all of her big talk is hollow bragging that she cannot deliver on obviously and I lost ALL respect for that character. In fact, the inner monologue and dialogue all sounds like a bunch of trash talking teenagers who can't deliver on what their mouth says -- all attitude no action. In the end she just came off as pathetic with an over inflated sense of what she can actually do, and I lost interest in going any farther, and quit on page 81.
March 24, 2022
Blade of Iris by K.A Knight is a standalone reverse harem novel, which forms part of the Mafia Wars world. This is technically the sixth and final book in the world, but they can be read in any order.
Iris is the last Mafia Princesses story to be told. We have been briefly introduced to her before, so there was some idea about the family she grew up in. Also out of all the relationships hers was the only one to be told from the recaps that she would belong to all of the brothers. The stories are all reverse harem, but this relationship was predetermined as part of the family's decision.
The hatred between these two families (Kelly’s and Volkov’s) is very evident from the beginning and as the barriers break between the 3 Volkvo brothers and their new Kelly bride, their relationship develops very quickly, even though none of them really want it to…well maybe Zakhar.
Unfortunately I did find this story dragging at times or when the chapters were super short, it wasn’t enough content to really connect with the characters individually. Yes, there’s 70ish chapters, but even half that and just longer chapters would have possibly had that connection I felt missing. Others might find this differently though, and it could be something the reader enjoys. Because I loved the other books in the shared world, I did continue with the book, so I could at least finish this collection. I also spaced out reading the collection, so I definitely wasn’t overwhelmed by reading the previous stories. For me personally, there were scenes which didn’t add to the story and I overall struggled at times, which meant I just didn’t connect with this book and the characters.
Blade of Iris is written with multiple POV’s from Iris, Alexi, Nikolay and Zakhar.
Each of these books can be read as a standalone and in any order, but the world is interconnected and there is mention of other characters briefly in the stories. These are noted as dark romance and do have some triggers.
Side note: The preface is captivating and the words flow so seamlessly that it will hook you. This is the same in each of the books, but I couldn’t not mention it as it sums up the world.
Iris is the last Mafia Princesses story to be told. We have been briefly introduced to her before, so there was some idea about the family she grew up in. Also out of all the relationships hers was the only one to be told from the recaps that she would belong to all of the brothers. The stories are all reverse harem, but this relationship was predetermined as part of the family's decision.
The hatred between these two families (Kelly’s and Volkov’s) is very evident from the beginning and as the barriers break between the 3 Volkvo brothers and their new Kelly bride, their relationship develops very quickly, even though none of them really want it to…well maybe Zakhar.
Unfortunately I did find this story dragging at times or when the chapters were super short, it wasn’t enough content to really connect with the characters individually. Yes, there’s 70ish chapters, but even half that and just longer chapters would have possibly had that connection I felt missing. Others might find this differently though, and it could be something the reader enjoys. Because I loved the other books in the shared world, I did continue with the book, so I could at least finish this collection. I also spaced out reading the collection, so I definitely wasn’t overwhelmed by reading the previous stories. For me personally, there were scenes which didn’t add to the story and I overall struggled at times, which meant I just didn’t connect with this book and the characters.
Blade of Iris is written with multiple POV’s from Iris, Alexi, Nikolay and Zakhar.
Each of these books can be read as a standalone and in any order, but the world is interconnected and there is mention of other characters briefly in the stories. These are noted as dark romance and do have some triggers.
Side note: The preface is captivating and the words flow so seamlessly that it will hook you. This is the same in each of the books, but I couldn’t not mention it as it sums up the world.
July 24, 2022
4.8 stars.
This was really hard to read through my tears at times.
I love a badass FMC and this one was completely BadAss Assassin. So fucking cool during the fight scenes.
Then the guys.
We got the lovable, sweet one. He’s still deadly as sin, but he’s totally in touch with his gentler side and he will 100% show you he loves you.
We got the boss of the group. He’s the oldest and the tallest and he’ll completely fuck your life if you’re not utterly loyal to his family.
Then there’s the scary one. He’ll kill you if you get too close. He’ll 1000% inflict torturous pain if you stay too long. But he’ll also always have your back, and when he’s fully learned to trust you, he’ll give you the reigns and let you control Him.
The plot was dangerous and murderous and full of action and secrets and a tiny bit of betrayal.
The sex was dirty and hot and full of pleasure-pain and sometimes just plain pain.
The ending was a little ridiculous but totally satisfying and almost wholesome.
I just had a really good time and I literally Could Not put it down.
I’d been debating whether or not to read it since it came out, and I’m so glad I picked it up.
Totally worth the tears.
This was really hard to read through my tears at times.
I love a badass FMC and this one was completely BadAss Assassin. So fucking cool during the fight scenes.
Then the guys.
We got the lovable, sweet one. He’s still deadly as sin, but he’s totally in touch with his gentler side and he will 100% show you he loves you.
We got the boss of the group. He’s the oldest and the tallest and he’ll completely fuck your life if you’re not utterly loyal to his family.
Then there’s the scary one. He’ll kill you if you get too close. He’ll 1000% inflict torturous pain if you stay too long. But he’ll also always have your back, and when he’s fully learned to trust you, he’ll give you the reigns and let you control Him.
The plot was dangerous and murderous and full of action and secrets and a tiny bit of betrayal.
The sex was dirty and hot and full of pleasure-pain and sometimes just plain pain.
The ending was a little ridiculous but totally satisfying and almost wholesome.
I just had a really good time and I literally Could Not put it down.
I’d been debating whether or not to read it since it came out, and I’m so glad I picked it up.
Totally worth the tears.
March 18, 2022
Blade of Iris review
Release date 3/18/22
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶1/2
Tropes ~ RH, forced proximity, dark romance, mafia, enemies to lovers
🗡 Recommended 18+ Due to mature language, adult situations, and sensitive content🗡
I lobe that Iris was not some docile women, even from the start she is one badass women. Now for the men in her life 🥵🥵 I think I have some new book boyfriends. I really enjoyed the character building In this book to, and having it multiple POVs was even better to see everyone ones sides of things. This book is a must read for me.
Release date 3/18/22
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶1/2
Tropes ~ RH, forced proximity, dark romance, mafia, enemies to lovers
🗡 Recommended 18+ Due to mature language, adult situations, and sensitive content🗡
I lobe that Iris was not some docile women, even from the start she is one badass women. Now for the men in her life 🥵🥵 I think I have some new book boyfriends. I really enjoyed the character building In this book to, and having it multiple POVs was even better to see everyone ones sides of things. This book is a must read for me.
March 26, 2022
Perfect Ending
This is the final book in the shared world of Mafia Wars. Each book is a standalone and don’t necessarily need to be read in order but I highly recommend doing so for the best reading experience.
Iris travels to Nevada to marry the Volkov brothers. Each brother has something different that calls to Iris.
This story is a dark RH with plenty of trigger warnings so please make sure you check those. This story will not be for everyone but I loved it so much!!
The epilogue gave us the perfect ending to this world!
This is the final book in the shared world of Mafia Wars. Each book is a standalone and don’t necessarily need to be read in order but I highly recommend doing so for the best reading experience.
Iris travels to Nevada to marry the Volkov brothers. Each brother has something different that calls to Iris.
This story is a dark RH with plenty of trigger warnings so please make sure you check those. This story will not be for everyone but I loved it so much!!
The epilogue gave us the perfect ending to this world!
July 28, 2025
Not worth your time
I’m not sure what I was expecting this book to be, but it was not this. Honestly, not worth your time.
I’m not sure what I was expecting this book to be, but it was not this. Honestly, not worth your time.
April 22, 2022
Dnf
Didn't like iris as a character although I liked Alexi, Nik and Zak. She was a melted and I have up around 60% the other books in the series were so much better this just dragged and I lost interest.
Didn't like iris as a character although I liked Alexi, Nik and Zak. She was a melted and I have up around 60% the other books in the series were so much better this just dragged and I lost interest.
April 10, 2022
No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.
Overall: 2.5-stars
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
Possible Triggers: Yes
Ending:
Overall: 2.5-stars
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
Possible Triggers: Yes
Ending:
March 22, 2022
not my favorite of the series
Blade of Iris is a standalone in a shared world.
So, I loved the series as a whole. This book, however, I struggled with. Iris, I loved. I loved the development of her character. I felt there was several inconsistencies with the characters, and their flip flopping attitudes towards certain situations. I also struggled with the “villain” of the story. That part felt forced, and I felt the book was extended about 4-5 chapters beyond what it needed to be.
The steam was great. Dark and dirty, just how I like it. I was ok with the graphic nature of of the scenes, that totally didn’t bother me.
The epilogue was the best part, but for good reason.
Story 📖: 3/5
Heat 🔥: 4/5
Blade of Iris is a standalone in a shared world.
So, I loved the series as a whole. This book, however, I struggled with. Iris, I loved. I loved the development of her character. I felt there was several inconsistencies with the characters, and their flip flopping attitudes towards certain situations. I also struggled with the “villain” of the story. That part felt forced, and I felt the book was extended about 4-5 chapters beyond what it needed to be.
The steam was great. Dark and dirty, just how I like it. I was ok with the graphic nature of of the scenes, that totally didn’t bother me.
The epilogue was the best part, but for good reason.
Story 📖: 3/5
Heat 🔥: 4/5
April 20, 2024
What in the world did I just read.
I just finished Forget-Me-Not Bombshell, coming into this book with high expectations. The phone conversation between Anya and Zakhar hinted at such interesting characters:
Safe to say, I was beyond disappointed.
I didn't realize till I had already started reading that the authors were different. And the difference in writing quality is obvious.
Anya Volkov is a badass. Iris Kelly is... horny.
Where's the character development?
Who needs that when you can fill a book with repetitive endless smut?
Where's the chemistry?
Insta-love will fix that right up for you 🙄
And what is up with continually calling this a fake marriage? You signed the damn certificate and got ordained by a priest. What do you mean it's "fake"?
Onto the crappy plot ✨
Iris is ready to pretend like she's a meek timid bride. Which she does... for all of two seconds. For a world-class assassin, with your whole strategy based on them underestimating you, you really are an awful actress, despite what you may think. (FYI she thinks she's amazing at it)
She couldn't even wait till they left the church to prove what a "badass" she was.
What do you mean you can't help it!? Just don't fucking do it. It really is that easy.
When they reach the penthouse, Alexi tells her to choose who she'd spend the night with. A prime opportunity to let her phenomenal acting skills shine through.
You're probably thinking that in this situation, a terrified woman would pick the person who makes her feel the safest. And since she's "playing the part", the most obvious choice would be the nicest of the brothers—Zakhar.
So of course she picks... (plot twist incoming) Alexi.
For some reason, she thinks she'll still have the element of surprise, but hey, if our top-of-the-line actress thinks that not picking the most obvious choice isn't suspicious, then it must be true. Takes notes, people.
Right, that would blow your cover.
The next four chapters are filled with a failed assassination attempt on Alexi and... you guessed it, smut.
Moving on.
I thought there was hope for Nikolay at least:
This could have had potential, but like I said, who needs that when you have insta-love?
You go, girl. Tell him what a good actress you are.
Jesus.
A bunch of smut and zero character development later, they're all in love with her. I still can't wrap my head around why Zakhar or Nikolay are since she basically spent all her time in Alexi's bedroom.
The author goes ahead and throws in a third act breakup, because why not. Basically, they were pissed at Iris because it turns out she was hired to kill them, so she had endangered the family. I don't get it though—she tried killing them on the first day she met them. Is that not endangering the family? Why does it matter why she tried to do it, especially since she gave up on the plan barely a week into it.
They all cold shoulder Iris and her mentor gets kidnapped. (Speaking of which, what was up with her secrecy over his identity when Nikolay asked who trained her?) Anyways, they go on a rescue mission, find out he's dead, make a plan for revenge, which lands them at their long lost aunt Alina's house. (She was the one who hired Iris. I know... shocking.) Oh also, Alexi had one condition. He'd help Iris get revenge only if she agreed to let him kill her afterwards.
Also I don't get why it took forever to track Alina down. Iris found a strand of blonde hair on a pillow in Alina's hotel room, which, I kid you not, she sniffed for hair dye or bleach, but she didn't think to test the DNA!?
But she's the expert assassin here, so what do I know.
Ok so back to the big fight. There are so many cringeworthy lines, but I will spare you and only share a few. Thank me later.
😐 Oh 😐 my 😐 God, 😐 Iris 😐 you're 😐 so 😐 funny. 😐
Did you not get the memo that they hate you? Why are you flirting with them, when they literally only agreed to help you with this if they get to kill you afterwards?!?
The four of them fall for Alina's trap (she basically yaps till her guards storm into the room) and all the guys end up held at gunpoint, but Iris manages to hold the Alina at gunpoint. You'd think she'd use that to her advantage, but she does something even better:
Ok so the takeaway here is, when your three husbands are about to be shot in the head by mercenaries, and you have leverage against their boss, give it up for absolutely no reason.
Iris says her goodbyes, and then (omg another plot twist), she pulls out the knife in her hair and stabs Alina in the stomach. Then she miraculously saves her husbands.
What was the point of this whole exchange, if they weren't even going to go through with killing the guys?
Alina dies, end of that plot. Now back to killing Iris.
They get back to the penthouse, and Alexi can't go through with killing her, so instead of, I dunno, not doing it, he tells Nikolay to do it. And as if that's not idiotic enough, he decides to throw in some torture to that request too. But not without reason, no. For proof of her betrayal. Makes total sense.
Alexi storms off upstairs, all pouty and upset that he's too weak to do it.
Zakhar gets pissed and joins him.
Iris convinces Nikolay to kiss her and then the torture starts.
And then he starts pulling out her fingernails.
Nikolay, babe, I'm all here for the dark, brooding thing you have going on, you do you, but what in the ever-loving fuck.
Iris keeps saying it's okay and that she forgives him, but only when she says loves him, he realizes what he's doing is wrong and runs upstairs to make his brothers kill him.
Two chapters and more smut and they just sweep it under the rug. Problem solved.
They end up taking marriage counselling, and all I can think is, what self-respecting person would encourage these people to stay together after seeing Iris's missing nails?
One final complaint and then I'm done. The use of Russian. A few words are fine, but don't throw in so much that I need to keep flipping between the book and Google Translate to figure out what's going on.
2 stars because I managed to read all of it.
Happy reading (Please don't read it, I'm begging you)
I just finished Forget-Me-Not Bombshell, coming into this book with high expectations. The phone conversation between Anya and Zakhar hinted at such interesting characters:
“Iris, my love please stop hitting him with the plate he said he was sorry.”
“She calms Nikolay, I've never seen him like this, he's almost a human being. You wouldn't recognize him, Anya, he feels something other than hatred towards her, something we never thought possible after father broke him.”
Was Nikolay really opening up to this girl? Was she helping heal the wounds in him that no one had managed to before?
Safe to say, I was beyond disappointed.
I didn't realize till I had already started reading that the authors were different. And the difference in writing quality is obvious.
Anya Volkov is a badass. Iris Kelly is... horny.
Where's the character development?
Who needs that when you can fill a book with repetitive endless smut?
Where's the chemistry?
Insta-love will fix that right up for you 🙄
And what is up with continually calling this a fake marriage? You signed the damn certificate and got ordained by a priest. What do you mean it's "fake"?
Onto the crappy plot ✨
Iris is ready to pretend like she's a meek timid bride. Which she does... for all of two seconds. For a world-class assassin, with your whole strategy based on them underestimating you, you really are an awful actress, despite what you may think. (FYI she thinks she's amazing at it)
“However, he seems scared of the guns, unsure, but he could just be a very good actor. I know that personally, after all”
She couldn't even wait till they left the church to prove what a "badass" she was.
“It takes everything I have not to kiss back, not to fight him and make him bleed. I can’t. I’m supposed to be the good, innocent girl, but when he sweeps his tongue inside of my mouth and grabs my ass as if to urge me on, I can’t help it—I bite his tongue hard.”
What do you mean you can't help it!? Just don't fucking do it. It really is that easy.
When they reach the penthouse, Alexi tells her to choose who she'd spend the night with. A prime opportunity to let her phenomenal acting skills shine through.
"No", I mutter, playing the part, even though I've already made up my mind.
You're probably thinking that in this situation, a terrified woman would pick the person who makes her feel the safest. And since she's "playing the part", the most obvious choice would be the nicest of the brothers—Zakhar.
So of course she picks... (plot twist incoming) Alexi.
For some reason, she thinks she'll still have the element of surprise, but hey, if our top-of-the-line actress thinks that not picking the most obvious choice isn't suspicious, then it must be true. Takes notes, people.
"I feel Zakhar jerk, and he raises sad eyes to me as if he feels betrayed that I didn't pick him. For some reason, I want to explain and apologize, but I can't without blowing my cover, so I simply look away."
Right, that would blow your cover.
The next four chapters are filled with a failed assassination attempt on Alexi and... you guessed it, smut.
Moving on.
I thought there was hope for Nikolay at least:
Nikolay’s head turns in my direction, his jaw grinding.
Why does he hate me so much?
This could have had potential, but like I said, who needs that when you have insta-love?
"Do I need to tie you up? I will," he snarls.
"Oh please," I purr, holding out my hands. "I'd love it, especially if you fucked me at the same time."
I can tell I've shocked him. His eyes widen before they smolder, and his hands clench into fists at his sides. "One fuck with my brother, and you think you're such a fucking bad girl?" he hisses.
"Oh, baby, I was a bad girl before your brother, I just hid it well."
You go, girl. Tell him what a good actress you are.
Jesus.
A bunch of smut and zero character development later, they're all in love with her. I still can't wrap my head around why Zakhar or Nikolay are since she basically spent all her time in Alexi's bedroom.
The author goes ahead and throws in a third act breakup, because why not. Basically, they were pissed at Iris because it turns out she was hired to kill them, so she had endangered the family. I don't get it though—she tried killing them on the first day she met them. Is that not endangering the family? Why does it matter why she tried to do it, especially since she gave up on the plan barely a week into it.
They all cold shoulder Iris and her mentor gets kidnapped. (Speaking of which, what was up with her secrecy over his identity when Nikolay asked who trained her?) Anyways, they go on a rescue mission, find out he's dead, make a plan for revenge, which lands them at their long lost aunt Alina's house. (She was the one who hired Iris. I know... shocking.) Oh also, Alexi had one condition. He'd help Iris get revenge only if she agreed to let him kill her afterwards.
Also I don't get why it took forever to track Alina down. Iris found a strand of blonde hair on a pillow in Alina's hotel room, which, I kid you not, she sniffed for hair dye or bleach, but she didn't think to test the DNA!?
But she's the expert assassin here, so what do I know.
Ok so back to the big fight. There are so many cringeworthy lines, but I will spare you and only share a few. Thank me later.
"They might be Volkovs, killers and mafia kings...
But I'm an assassin and this is my playground. They are about to learn that.
"Shoot straight, and don't shoot us."
"Not unless you annoy me."
😐 Oh 😐 my 😐 God, 😐 Iris 😐 you're 😐 so 😐 funny. 😐
"Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Get your fine asses over that wall now."
Did you not get the memo that they hate you? Why are you flirting with them, when they literally only agreed to help you with this if they get to kill you afterwards?!?
The four of them fall for Alina's trap (she basically yaps till her guards storm into the room) and all the guys end up held at gunpoint, but Iris manages to hold the Alina at gunpoint. You'd think she'd use that to her advantage, but she does something even better:
"If I drop the gun, you promise not to shoot us until I say goodbye?"
Ok so the takeaway here is, when your three husbands are about to be shot in the head by mercenaries, and you have leverage against their boss, give it up for absolutely no reason.
Iris says her goodbyes, and then (omg another plot twist), she pulls out the knife in her hair and stabs Alina in the stomach. Then she miraculously saves her husbands.
I tug my gun from her waist and shoot the three guards behind my men as they just stare, gobsmacked.
What was the point of this whole exchange, if they weren't even going to go through with killing the guys?
Alina dies, end of that plot. Now back to killing Iris.
"I don't suppose this makes us even? You know, the saving your life again thing? I swear you guys have a damsel kink."
"Not even close, little liar," Nikolay snarls.
Great. They are back to hating me. This should be fun.
They get back to the penthouse, and Alexi can't go through with killing her, so instead of, I dunno, not doing it, he tells Nikolay to do it. And as if that's not idiotic enough, he decides to throw in some torture to that request too. But not without reason, no. For proof of her betrayal. Makes total sense.
Alexi storms off upstairs, all pouty and upset that he's too weak to do it.
Zakhar gets pissed and joins him.
Iris convinces Nikolay to kiss her and then the torture starts.
That's when I realize this is about more than finding the truth.
This is punishment.
It's the only thing I know how to do.
And then he starts pulling out her fingernails.
Nikolay, babe, I'm all here for the dark, brooding thing you have going on, you do you, but what in the ever-loving fuck.
Iris keeps saying it's okay and that she forgives him, but only when she says loves him, he realizes what he's doing is wrong and runs upstairs to make his brothers kill him.
Two chapters and more smut and they just sweep it under the rug. Problem solved.
They end up taking marriage counselling, and all I can think is, what self-respecting person would encourage these people to stay together after seeing Iris's missing nails?
One final complaint and then I'm done. The use of Russian. A few words are fine, but don't throw in so much that I need to keep flipping between the book and Google Translate to figure out what's going on.
2 stars because I managed to read all of it.
Happy reading (Please don't read it, I'm begging you)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2022
Cuts Like a Knife
Steam: 5/5. Strong Language: 4/5. Triggers: Violence, Descriptive Torture, Murder, Child Abuse, Death, Grief
The sixth and final book in the Mafia Wars saga. This is a reverse harem, forced marriage, mafia romance. I would recommend reading the books in order (especially for the epilogue) but this can be read as a standalone.
This was the grittiest of the novels. The characters' flaws were more pronounced and definitely darker. This book has a lot of triggers. I have to say, I was pleased that this author didn't just rely on the sexual abuse or sexual assault storyline as many of the others did. Women and men are complex creatures. They can like various kinks, be dark and broody, even be different from what the world defines as 'acceptable' (please insert eye roll) and it can have nothing to do with that trauma. Too many authors use it as a crutch. IMHO.
K.A. Knight did a wonderful job of crafting these characters. We learn about Iris Kelly way back in book one (Binding Rose about her brothers). Iris is not your typical, spoiled, mafia princess. She is not the seen and not heard type. Nope. Iris was taught a very special set of skills. Her brothers wanted her to be able to defend herself from the Russian mobsters she was to be married off to. Iris took this a few steps further though. She's a killer. An assassin. A really good one. She has three targets in her sights.
Alexi Volkov is the head of the Russian Bratva in Vegas. Nickolay, his brother is their enforcer. Their kid brother, Zackar, is the deal maker. Only Zak wants a wife. The others are just doing this to fulfill the peace treaty. They distrust her, she's the enemy in their midst. Iris turns their lives upside down. What's a little attempted murder between spouses especially when it leads to such great make-up sessions.
What happens when an assassin falls for her targets? Death comes calling with a vengeance.
#BANGReadingChallenge
5 ⭐ I loved it. I’ll revisit it like an old friend. This book is moving right into my favorites category. I would recommend it to everyone, even people that don’t ask. I’ll one click this author’s work in the future.
4 ⭐ A great read. I’ll probably reread again when feeling nostalgic. It was enjoyable, not portable magic. I would recommend it.
3 ⭐ I liked it. It was a nice way to pass the time. I doubt I’ll reread it. I’d recommend it to someone asking for a specific genre. Thanks for the memories.
2 ⭐ I completed the Herculean task of finishing this book. At times, it felt like I was Prometheus and the suffering would never end. It just wasn’t for me but I applaud the author for their effort.
1 ⭐ I couldn’t finish this book or I wish I hadn't finished. How do I put this? It’s not me, it’s you.
Steam: 5/5. Strong Language: 4/5. Triggers: Violence, Descriptive Torture, Murder, Child Abuse, Death, Grief
The sixth and final book in the Mafia Wars saga. This is a reverse harem, forced marriage, mafia romance. I would recommend reading the books in order (especially for the epilogue) but this can be read as a standalone.
This was the grittiest of the novels. The characters' flaws were more pronounced and definitely darker. This book has a lot of triggers. I have to say, I was pleased that this author didn't just rely on the sexual abuse or sexual assault storyline as many of the others did. Women and men are complex creatures. They can like various kinks, be dark and broody, even be different from what the world defines as 'acceptable' (please insert eye roll) and it can have nothing to do with that trauma. Too many authors use it as a crutch. IMHO.
K.A. Knight did a wonderful job of crafting these characters. We learn about Iris Kelly way back in book one (Binding Rose about her brothers). Iris is not your typical, spoiled, mafia princess. She is not the seen and not heard type. Nope. Iris was taught a very special set of skills. Her brothers wanted her to be able to defend herself from the Russian mobsters she was to be married off to. Iris took this a few steps further though. She's a killer. An assassin. A really good one. She has three targets in her sights.
Alexi Volkov is the head of the Russian Bratva in Vegas. Nickolay, his brother is their enforcer. Their kid brother, Zackar, is the deal maker. Only Zak wants a wife. The others are just doing this to fulfill the peace treaty. They distrust her, she's the enemy in their midst. Iris turns their lives upside down. What's a little attempted murder between spouses especially when it leads to such great make-up sessions.
What happens when an assassin falls for her targets? Death comes calling with a vengeance.
#BANGReadingChallenge
5 ⭐ I loved it. I’ll revisit it like an old friend. This book is moving right into my favorites category. I would recommend it to everyone, even people that don’t ask. I’ll one click this author’s work in the future.
4 ⭐ A great read. I’ll probably reread again when feeling nostalgic. It was enjoyable, not portable magic. I would recommend it.
3 ⭐ I liked it. It was a nice way to pass the time. I doubt I’ll reread it. I’d recommend it to someone asking for a specific genre. Thanks for the memories.
2 ⭐ I completed the Herculean task of finishing this book. At times, it felt like I was Prometheus and the suffering would never end. It just wasn’t for me but I applaud the author for their effort.
1 ⭐ I couldn’t finish this book or I wish I hadn't finished. How do I put this? It’s not me, it’s you.
June 9, 2023
Book: Blades of Iris
Read By: Ebook and Audio
Author: K.A. Knight
Genre: Dark Romance, Reverse Harem and Mafia
Main Characters: Iris, Nikolay, Zakhar and Alexi
Recommend: Yes
Spice: 🌶️️ 🌶️️ 🌶️️ 🌶️️
Age recommendation: 18-30+ Years
My feelings:
Ok ok ok…. I was a bit bored in the first 4Hrs of the audio… not like pull my hair out bored, more like, there wasn’t enough action going on.’
But thankfully it picked up from there.
“The panicked scream cuts through the air, and all three of our heads jerk to the source. To her. Our assassin, our liar, our wife. Our Iris. Our hope. Our damnation. The one who broke this family apart, and the only one who can put it back together.”
Blades of Iris, follows iris and her journey with 3 Russian mafia mobsters. Her father the head of the Irish Mafia, entrusts her to the Russian Mafia as a bride to sign a treaty to ensure peace. Iris went in thinking she would kill them all and run away. But she needed up falling in love with hem, and killing the women who had put a hit out on them. She saves there lives, betrays them, gets tortured by them but ends up truely happily married to them.
“The night I knew I loved you.” “When was that?” I ask softly. “The very first night you tried to kill me.” He smirks, and I laugh. “She would have liked you.” “Really?”
I was worried this would be like DOV and as much as I didnt want DOV to finish, I don’t want a copy of it either. And it wasn’t, in fact it ended up super enjoyable from a Russian Mafia POV. I loved the audio, the accents were fantastic and I really enjoyed hearing it. I felt like the Irish was a bit off, but being the super hard accent that it is, im not really shocked lol.
“If your family could only see you begging for our cocks, your body scarred from our hands and used and filled whenever we fucking want. And you love it. Maybe I’ll tell them one day, or maybe I’ll just decide to put a fucking baby in you so they will see how much you love fucking us.”
All in all really enjoyed it. kA Knight always writes amazing RH and DR.
“Even if they are Russian assholes, they are my assholes until the end of time…or until I kill them.”
Read By: Ebook and Audio
Author: K.A. Knight
Genre: Dark Romance, Reverse Harem and Mafia
Main Characters: Iris, Nikolay, Zakhar and Alexi
Recommend: Yes
Spice: 🌶️️ 🌶️️ 🌶️️ 🌶️️
Age recommendation: 18-30+ Years
My feelings:
Ok ok ok…. I was a bit bored in the first 4Hrs of the audio… not like pull my hair out bored, more like, there wasn’t enough action going on.’
But thankfully it picked up from there.
“The panicked scream cuts through the air, and all three of our heads jerk to the source. To her. Our assassin, our liar, our wife. Our Iris. Our hope. Our damnation. The one who broke this family apart, and the only one who can put it back together.”
Blades of Iris, follows iris and her journey with 3 Russian mafia mobsters. Her father the head of the Irish Mafia, entrusts her to the Russian Mafia as a bride to sign a treaty to ensure peace. Iris went in thinking she would kill them all and run away. But she needed up falling in love with hem, and killing the women who had put a hit out on them. She saves there lives, betrays them, gets tortured by them but ends up truely happily married to them.
“The night I knew I loved you.” “When was that?” I ask softly. “The very first night you tried to kill me.” He smirks, and I laugh. “She would have liked you.” “Really?”
I was worried this would be like DOV and as much as I didnt want DOV to finish, I don’t want a copy of it either. And it wasn’t, in fact it ended up super enjoyable from a Russian Mafia POV. I loved the audio, the accents were fantastic and I really enjoyed hearing it. I felt like the Irish was a bit off, but being the super hard accent that it is, im not really shocked lol.
“If your family could only see you begging for our cocks, your body scarred from our hands and used and filled whenever we fucking want. And you love it. Maybe I’ll tell them one day, or maybe I’ll just decide to put a fucking baby in you so they will see how much you love fucking us.”
All in all really enjoyed it. kA Knight always writes amazing RH and DR.
“Even if they are Russian assholes, they are my assholes until the end of time…or until I kill them.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2022
I devour everything that Katie writes, she’s literally a one click author for me. I knew I would love with story without even reading the blurb, and it was everything I wanted in a dark, why choose, mafia romance.
Niko, Alexi and Zak are hot af. I love their crazy murdering asses. I love when it’s a why choose romance and all the guys are brothers, especially when they’re all different but still all psychotic. I adored their nicknames for Iris, little flower, little liar and my love 🥹 they had me swooning, blushing, and got me all kinds of flustered. The spicy scenes and the group activities were phenomenal! The sexual tension was off that charts!!! 🔥
Zak was a sweetheart in every way, I love how much he cared for Iris and did everything he could to show her that he loved her. I love how much he loved his brother and would do anything to protect his family. His heart was so big even after all the hurt and pain that he’d been through.
Alexis and his filthy dirty talk was just off the charts hot. Him and Iris were pure enemies to lovers that used verbal fore play on a daily basis. I loved how possessive and protective he was of Iris. The grumpy older brother finally learned to love.
Niko, was my favourite obviously. He was hurt and beaten into a monster by his father but with Iris’s love and his brothers support he learned to leave that torture in the past and to love himself and to not be so hard on himself. He would do absolutely anything for his brothers, even if it meant ending his life to protect them.
Iris was incredible in every sense of the word. She was smart, strong, witty and used her sensuality to get what she wants. She was a master manipulator and used that as a weapon but she also lied a lot to protect the ones she loved, especially her men. The way she killed and fought to protect them and also willingly tried to give up her life for them showed how much she loved them. She would’ve done anything for them. They were her family.
The epilogue was absolutely beautiful, I can’t wait to read everyone else’s stories and see how they all connect together!
Niko, Alexi and Zak are hot af. I love their crazy murdering asses. I love when it’s a why choose romance and all the guys are brothers, especially when they’re all different but still all psychotic. I adored their nicknames for Iris, little flower, little liar and my love 🥹 they had me swooning, blushing, and got me all kinds of flustered. The spicy scenes and the group activities were phenomenal! The sexual tension was off that charts!!! 🔥
Zak was a sweetheart in every way, I love how much he cared for Iris and did everything he could to show her that he loved her. I love how much he loved his brother and would do anything to protect his family. His heart was so big even after all the hurt and pain that he’d been through.
Alexis and his filthy dirty talk was just off the charts hot. Him and Iris were pure enemies to lovers that used verbal fore play on a daily basis. I loved how possessive and protective he was of Iris. The grumpy older brother finally learned to love.
Niko, was my favourite obviously. He was hurt and beaten into a monster by his father but with Iris’s love and his brothers support he learned to leave that torture in the past and to love himself and to not be so hard on himself. He would do absolutely anything for his brothers, even if it meant ending his life to protect them.
Iris was incredible in every sense of the word. She was smart, strong, witty and used her sensuality to get what she wants. She was a master manipulator and used that as a weapon but she also lied a lot to protect the ones she loved, especially her men. The way she killed and fought to protect them and also willingly tried to give up her life for them showed how much she loved them. She would’ve done anything for them. They were her family.
The epilogue was absolutely beautiful, I can’t wait to read everyone else’s stories and see how they all connect together!
March 17, 2022
Set against the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, Blade of Iris is the perfect final chapter of the addicting Mafia Wars shared world series .
I have been wanting Iris’ story ever since getting a glimpse of her in Binding Rose. I suspected she would be intriguing but I never would had guessed how much. Iris is a very unique FMC compared to the rest of the mafia daughters. I can’t go into detail without giving away anything, but Iris was unexpected for me. And I really loved her.
Despite how much I loved Iris’ unique brand of badass, for me the Volkov brothers completely stole the show. Alexi, Nikolay and Zakhar are brutal and ruthless and would do anything for their family. The brothers‘ relationships with each other was just as significant to the story as their their connection with Iris. I loved each of them but Nikolay completely captivated me. He’s an incredibly complex character, and his progression throughout the story was masterfully written. Overall, I felt the character development was excellent which can be challenging to accomplish in a standalone RH with so many main characters.
The pacing was good and the plot was engaging with lots of action and of course, loads of spice. I appreciated that once the main conflict was resolved, there was still a significant portion of the book dedicated to strengthening their relationships, rather than just having a one chapter epilogue. And speaking of epilogues, I loved revisiting the rest of the mafia families at the end of this book. It provided some closure and wrapped up the series nicely. Absolutely terrific series finish!
I have been wanting Iris’ story ever since getting a glimpse of her in Binding Rose. I suspected she would be intriguing but I never would had guessed how much. Iris is a very unique FMC compared to the rest of the mafia daughters. I can’t go into detail without giving away anything, but Iris was unexpected for me. And I really loved her.
Despite how much I loved Iris’ unique brand of badass, for me the Volkov brothers completely stole the show. Alexi, Nikolay and Zakhar are brutal and ruthless and would do anything for their family. The brothers‘ relationships with each other was just as significant to the story as their their connection with Iris. I loved each of them but Nikolay completely captivated me. He’s an incredibly complex character, and his progression throughout the story was masterfully written. Overall, I felt the character development was excellent which can be challenging to accomplish in a standalone RH with so many main characters.
The pacing was good and the plot was engaging with lots of action and of course, loads of spice. I appreciated that once the main conflict was resolved, there was still a significant portion of the book dedicated to strengthening their relationships, rather than just having a one chapter epilogue. And speaking of epilogues, I loved revisiting the rest of the mafia families at the end of this book. It provided some closure and wrapped up the series nicely. Absolutely terrific series finish!
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