Broken Phoenix

by Ashlyn Hades

Escape—impossible.

Death—imminent.

After a job gone wrong, I find myself in the back of a transport van on my way to the women’s prison in my city.

Only...

We never make it there.

Three canisters of knockout gas later, I’m ten thousand feet in the air with a dozen other prisoners being told to jump or die.

I choose jump.

The island I land on isn’t an ordinary island. The worst of the worst are put here by a private army to do the jobs normal people are too scared to do—their very own suicide squad.

Wicked teams form on the island, and most of them sets their sights on me.

Including the Birds of Prey.

Vicious, cunning, and dangerous criminals, they entice me just as much as they scare me.

Falcon, an assassin whose unhinged nature reels me in. He wants to keep me as a pet...but he might just be the only one.

Hawk, a charming, smiling serial killer whose multiple personalities and characters make it difficult to decide if he’s friend or foe.

Vulture, a stone-cold torturer whose dark past makes him distrust me and even the members of his own team.

Eagle, a massive weapons trafficker who can’t quite decide what to do with me.

And finally, Raven, the leader of the group and an eccentric hacker who gets to decide my fate—if I join their team or die at their hands.

Add on to all of that a sexy, protective guard who wants to save me, I find myself in way over my head.

They will break me, torture me, hurt me.

But this Phoenix is determined to rise from the ashes.


This is a dark reverse harem romance, meaning the FMC will end up with more than three men by the time the series finishes. Be warned that when I say this book is dark, I mean it. The men are sexy and drool-worthy…but they’re also dangerous criminals who won’t hesitate to get their hands bloody. They’ll eventually worship the ground the main character walks on, though it’ll take a while to get to that point. Check the author’s note inside for a list of warnings. If you’re still willing to read this book even knowing all of that, then enjoy! May the sex gods stick you on your own island of sexy psychos.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Why Choose, Crime, Fantasy, Forced Proximity

522 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2023

Reviews

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must have a very dark soul because this book unleashed a BEAST inside of me I didn’t know existed and now I want MORE 💀 WHO ARE THESE MYSTERIOUS AUTHORS I MUST KNOW!!!

Every single character in this book is villainous, there are no heroes here 😈 and the romance is so depraved that had me doing so many double takes my neck has a kink!

Suicide Squad meets The 100 in this dark dark why choose romance where a bunch of the worlds worst criminals are dropped in an remote island. We are talking murderers, serial killers, r@pists, torturers, assassins… and a young woman, Nyx, who is a highly skilled thief. 😈

They form hunting teams in this island of madness. The men in the island are depraved, wicked, possessive and toxic. Nyx will have to give it all she’s got if she wants to survive.. and keep her dignity 🥵💀 but maybe in order to survive amongst evil she must turn evil herself…

[Neelakshi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aged me a whole decade.

[booklover · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this is an unpopular opinion, but I will stand by it. I'm so sick of the misogyny trope that's everywhere nowadays, & I know slutshaming was in the trigger warnings. I continued onward despite that, & I don't even like bullying. Despite that I liked this book, even though it has a trope that I'm not a fan of. The reason why I could tolerate the bullying was because of nyx, she herself said that she started to feel powerful. She knew they couldn't break her, and she was honestly such a good FMC. I was so proud of her for standing up for what she believes in over and over again. But after that ending, if she goes back to them & continues to let herself be used as a toy & mistreated, I will seriously be pissed.

I knew it was coming, nyx probably knew it was coming and just didn't want to believe that. I despise raven I'm sorry but I don't see myself ever liking him. He obviously has a misogyny problem, because who in their right mind would blame a girl when she was a child for being SA by her father. And then keep taunting her with her real name, & calling her a whore all the time. The reason why I hate this trope is because if a female main character was SA or likewise, she's not allowed to hate male characters or even imply that every male character is the same. But here's the dilemma if a male character is betrayed by a woman or hurt by a girl, they're allowed to mistreat women & believe every girl they come across is a slut, out to get them, or and I quote need to make her kill herself. & I'm so sick of this trope, we get it you meet a bitch one time & then you blame everyone who is a woman.

Despite my ranting (i'm sorry), I did enjoy this book & want to know this mystery about how she ended up there. I will read the next book, I hope she makes everyone pay. If you haven't noticed I'm a very petty person lol, I want raven to grovel. & I mean crawling to her, being on his knees to clean the floors, & kind of tortured too lol. It seems as of now the guard is the only one on her side, I'm kinda disappointed in the other guys too. Like why? Why did you betray her, because of your misogynistic leader. I hate that she will probably need to do those things as a team anyway, an assignment that they will get.

But for now I want to be petty & hope for Jayce to chain up the guys & then nyx can torture them & sleep with Jayce in their blood lol. ( I said I was a petty bitch lol). I'll be honest I had no idea that this was a pen name either, so I really wonder who the author is. Anyways this book was called broken Phoenix for a reason, so I hope the next book is called something like rise from the ashes, as nyx said. Time to make boys pay.

[aurey · Rating 3 out of 5]

really conflicted about this one. the first half is definitely straight torture porn. it was tough to read honestly. especially because i felt like the book kinda dragged on at some points. but the end really captivated me. i’m hoping that the fmc will grow a backbone for the next book. if she just rolls over for them quickly i’ll probably dnf the book and series. after everything they put her through i need her to get revenge. and i don’t want her to even think about going back to them until they’re begging.

[taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5/5 stars ….had potential, but tbh i can’t tell if the author wants me to genuinely start to like the characters at ANY point in this book? i’m sorry, i’d rather read a book with an ok plot and fantastic characters than fantastic plot and ok characters. also no good smut so what really was the point? so disappointed bc it started out strong and lost me every step of the way more and more.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lort... I'm going to say it again, LORT!! So, ms. Phoenix irks me.. she's a smart girl.. She is a thief for crying out loud! All these men dressed with bird masks flock to her and treat her like trash, and she really thought she could trust them in the end. Mainly Raven.. like what the absolute F*ck?!
He needs a Louisville slugger to the face.
I hope Jayce gets her out and gets her away from those idiots. 🤬🤬🤬

[Fadua Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cliffhanger man...
4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/5🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Really dark ✅
Inverse harem✅
Emocional damage ✅

[chelle (serial downvoter) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t need to read about YouTube or Minecraft in a ‘dark’ romance book. What a joke.

DNF

[k's.bookshelf. · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING! I never knew where it was going or what the *^ was happening next. This was unlike any book I've read before absolutely cannot wait for the next one cause i need answers!

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book because there were parts that I liked and parts that were hard to read.

I am curious about how many guys Nyx will end up with because it just says more than three guys. This guy named Raven was a big part of the book, but I noticed that he didn't get a POV, which makes me wonder if he will be a part of the harem or not. I hate Raven, so I hope not.

According to the about the autnor page, Ashlyn Hades is a penname for two top 100 Amazon authors. I really want to know what the authors are to read some of their other books. A part of me wonders if that isn't in there to make people read the book because this reads as if it is the first book ever written. It could be because it is two different authors writing it. You would think that if the authors are so popular that it wouldn't read as if it is their first book. There was a lack of world building and character development. You don't really know much about any of the main characters. There is a mystery going on surrounding how Nyx a thief got dumped onto an island with murders but we don't get any answers. I feel like the book left me with more questions than answers.

I definitely want to read the next book to find out what happens and if Nyx gets back at the guys for what they did to her.

* RH (5 guys, no ⚔️)
* Multiple POVs (Nyx, Falcon, Hawk, Eagle, Vulture, and Jayce)

CW:
Asphyxia & strangulation
Blood & gore
Bondage
Bullying, slut shaming & degradation
Captivity & Confinement Coercion
Slavery & imprisonment
Murder & attempted murder
Sexual harassment & assault
Child sexual abuse by father off page

[Anina Gavito · Rating 5 out of 5]

WTF. THERE BETTER BE A SECOND BOOK COMING SOON. FUCKKKKKKKKK 🤬😭

[Mel B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW!

Okay, so this is definitely a book where the author’s notes about triggers should be heeded! It is VERY dark, at times, extremely DISTURBING, but all around, if you can “handle it” a truly fantastic read!! — I cannot wait for the next book. The cliffhanger was a doozy!!

**SPOILERS**

Nyx is a thief. Yup. A good one too. But her biggest heist is also her “last one.” Her partner betrays her (sells her out) she’s captured, arrested, and sent to prison. Now THIS is where the story really begins.

Out of the blue Nyx wakes up in a giant helicopter along with other prison inmates. She has no idea what’s going on, just that the guards are demanding that the inmates put on parachutes…right before they shove them out of the helicopter!! She falls into trees (having successfully opened her chute) and realizes immediately that something is very, very wrong. She’s stuck in a “jungle like” atmosphere and prisoners are being killed all around her in very macabre ways.

They are being hunted!

Nyx refuses to die on this godforsaken island, even though she has no idea what will happen to her. She’s eventually “captured” by Falcon, a member of “The Birds of Prey” team. Falcon was immediately “smitten” with the petite, totally out of place, inmate, and decides he’s going to “keep her.” Yup, like a pet. He brings Nyx back to his camp where Falcon’s team leader, Raven takes one look at her and decides she needs to die. She’s too pretty, too soft, too inexperienced, too much of a distraction to his men. He seems to recognize immediately that she will come to mean something to the other members of his team, and that terrifies him. Raven has one goal, SURVIVE, survive WITH his chosen team: Falcon, Hawk, Eagle and Vulture. These men are all hardened criminals, the worst of the worst. They’ve killed MANY TIMES, and have enjoyed it. Raven put together his team for a specific reason and he doesn’t want Nyx to be on it, however, he’s overruled…initially.

“Wicked Island,” as it has been dubbed, is the Hell that the very worst criminals in the world are sent off too. They are all thrown out of a copter and they either live (by forming alliances/teams) or die - usually on the first night. No one expected Nyx, a “simple” thief to survive her first night on the island being hunted mercilessly by murderers, rapists and serial killers! There is a huge corrupt company, called Hopelite, they fund the island. When really good teams are formed a.k.a. the best of the worst form a camaraderie, they send the teams on “suicide missions” missions so dangerous and terrible that no one in their right mind would go on, so Hopelite sends easily “replaceable” killers to get the jobs done, knowing no one will care if they’re killed, tortured, maimed, etc. it’s almost like a two-for-one: they get government sanctioned missions completed (the company gets the credit of course, not the inmate teams) AND they can watch the most fascinating experiment ever!! Wicked Island takes the phrase survival of the fittest to a whole nother’ level!!

Each member of Birds of Prey have their reasons for wanting Nyx. She seems to fulfill a need in all of them - except for Raven, who HATES her with a passion, and Eagle who is so pragmatic that he agrees with his leader, even though he is fighting his own desires for the beautiful little thief. For Nyx, what begins as merely survival turns into true FEELINGS, and very real desire for these demon fueled men who are using her in very depraved ways. In order for her to stay “safe” (and I use that term very loosely) Nyx decided immediately that she HAD to stay with the Birds of Prey and become one of its members. However, she wasn’t counting on actually WANTING them, lusting after them, and enjoying some of the very depraved acts they “force” upon her. In addition to having to demean herself thoroughly for the Birds of Prey, she has to fight her desire for an Island prison guard, Jayce, who captured her attention right away, and is actually a “good guy” who took the job on Wicked Island thinking he could better serve his country by ridding it and watching over the worst of societies criminals. He’s shocked when he learns that Nyx, a mere thief is stuck on the island, and is at the mercy of The Birds Of Prey!

This book has you on the edge of your seat the entire time! You can’t be “squeamish,” however. Because what Nyx has to endure on the Island is BRUTAL. She is hunted, attacked, treated worse than livestock, horribly demeaned, sexually “abused” and sort of gets “Stockholm Syndrome.”

While Nyx is figuring out ways to stay alive, Raven and Eagle are figuring out ways to “punish” and hurt her enough that she’ll commit suicide - like so many of the other women prisoners had done before her. But they don’t really know Nyx 😉 and they underestimate her will to survive, her innate (seriously it’s there) GOODNESS, and true attraction she has for the other members of the team, heck, even though she hates Raven, she’s even still attracted to him, and comes to RESPECT the way he looks after “his men,” his friends. She despises what he puts her through, but starts to see him in a different light the longer she’s on the island stuck with them.

I really came to like these completely psychotic men - except for Raven, I detested Raven (but I’m pretty certain the author WANTED us to hate him). I enjoyed the weird dynamics between Nyx and Falcon (Falcon treats her like she’s his pet, seriously. He feeds her, dresses her, etc). Vulture has his “own thing” with Nyx, it’s really messed up, but it actually brings them closer together. Hawk is almost, okay just almost, a “protector” of sorts to Nyx, the “nicest” team member, though that’s not saying much. She even enjoys sparring with Eagle and needling Raven. However, Raven is a REAL PROBLEM FOR ME! I understand and have read many enemies to lovers books, but this one, the way Raven treats and behaves with Nyx…I honestly cannot see Nyx forgiving him and letting him into her harem. Heck, I hate him with a passion and would happily, readily, read the rest of the series minus his toxic “presence.” I know, it’s probably his own insecurities and demons that drive him in part to treat Nyx like utter trash, but honestly, the author writes him as SUCH AN EVIL MAN, that redemption seems hopeless…especially at the end.

Suffice to say, by the end of the book I could easily wipe my hands of Raven (if I were Nyx I’d never let him into my harem, hell, I’d kill him gladly- as easily as he wanted/wants to kill her), AND if the rest of the Birds of Prey don’t GROVEL LIKE HELL, and if Nyx doesn’t torture the shyte out of them, I’ll wipe my hands with the entire series. Seriously, even though the book is interesting, sexy, and action packed, and I really liked it…if Nyx isn’t “allowed” her revenge, well then, I’d either off the entire team and get her new love interests, or pair her with Jayce one-on-one, completely eradicating the reverse harem aspect entirely!! Honestly! THAT’S how messed up the ending (cliffhanger) is!! That’s how horribly the ending “ends” with her “men.”

I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series because I honestly want to see Nyx kick their asses!! I hope she wipes the floor with them. Actually I hope she shoots them more than a few times, strangles them (like they did to her), puts them through utter hell. And if, and ONLY IF they beg like WORMS does she consider taking them back. Frankly, it’s a testament to how well the author writes the male main characters like Falcon and Hawk turn your stomach by the end of book one, i.e. you go from liking them, rooting for them with Nyx, to actively hating them, and hoping Nyx gets a bloody, very bloody revenge upon them…and the rest.

If you can handle a lot of triggers, and “intense” as in, dub con etc. situations, then this is a book to read.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark, murdery Hunger Games meets Battle Royal vibes but with psycho criminal. This was darker than I thought it was going to be and verged on shock value/torture porn. I was surprisingly entertained the whole time though. It is a tough one to read, I felt absolutely sick and uncomfortable for the h many times but that’s the whole point of dark romance. The cliffhanger is doozy.

[Hannah]

DNF

[Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 / 5 stars

This book gives Hunger Games meets Squid Games and I freaking loved it. I was invested from start to finish!

The world building was phenomenal, the plot was perfection, the characters were all so well developed, and this made the book so damn good to read. I had so much fun reading and trying to put pieces together to figure out what was going on, and I really liked how we got the story from multiple pov’s.

That cliff-hanger was mean, I wanted to scream at the guys for doing that. This was a fantastic first book from this author duo and I can’t wait for the rest of the series so I can find out what happens next!

[Tasha Goulet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yessss!

Oh that ending was... Dark, emotional, and so scream worthy. I wanted to scream at the guys. I wanted to scream at Nyx to make them pay, and I wanted to scream at the authors who left me on such a cliffy.

Prepare yourself for this new RH because dark doesn't even begin to describe the island that Nyx find herself on. It's full of the worst kind of criminals and she doesn't know how she ended up there. Broken Phoenix is full of head games that make you wonder how she can survive any of it. It doesn't help that her only "allies" The Birds are all over the place, with their possessive ways, only to taunt and belittle her at the same time. Warning they'll definitely mess with your head as you read this book...especially at the end. But I have feeling that Phoenix will rise up and burn everything down, the island from hell, the corrupt money people behind it, and probably scorch a Bird or two.

[Melissa Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving it!!!

What a unique story and I’m loving it so much!!!! The Birds are giant a**holes but I’m fairly sure they are underestimating their Phoenix! I can’t wait for the second book in this series!

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

That cliffhanger! I need book two now!

[Elizabeth Sedell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected, and I mean that in the best possible way!

Plot:
There was one, and it was so intriguing! I went into this book just expecting tons of smut in a jungle but there was an actual storyline going on here. I don't want to spoil anything, but I appreciated that there was more to the prison and the prisoners themselves and I still have so many questions.

Characters:
Nyx wasn't my favorite FMC. With this being an RH book, you just have to go along with everyone finding her gorgeous. I was willing to accept that, but I wanted more from her. She was a thief, so presumably she had some skills at either slight of hand or sneaking around undetected or something, but we don't really see her excelling at anything here. I know she was thrown by everything happening to her, but her life depended on her proving she was useful, so I wanted her to show something. I'm assuming we'll get more of this in book 2, but I would have liked more here.

The guys are the best part of the book. I always looked forward to their POVs because we not only got more of their personalities, but we learned more about the island and the dynamic between the Birds. I also appreciated how different they were. With six MMCs, I expected them to overlap more in my mind, but they didn't.

Notes:
Check the Trigger Warnings.
The romance/spice in this one is lower than you might think because the book is actually doing a lot of good setup.
Ends on a serious CLIFFHANGER.

[Erika Brassard · Rating 5 out of 5]

5*

I am a big fan of dark romance on the heavy side. This book was everything i wanted and more. I thought it was a standalone but its a series and im so happy because I was at a point where i didnt want the story to end, wich doesnt happen a lot. The set up on an Island full of criminals is What makes a lot of logic in the story and why the heroine is usually full of fire but has to lay low in order to survive. The logical choices in a book, whatever the genre, is the best way to keep the reader fully immerse.

I felt I was watching an action movie with a girly dark unhinged twist. It is kind of a mix with hunger games and suicide squad. We could compare it a little to the broken bounds series, because of the reverse harem but wayyy darker. It is action packed with a crazy Bully and slow burn romance subplot. The way they torture Nyx got me shocked a lot and i find it well written. The main characters and all the criminals on the wicked Island are awesomely original and funny in a horrific way ! I enjoyed every one of them.

Now i cant wait to see HOW the birds will or will not redeem themselves because they are soooo psycho and cruel. Cant wait to see nyx getting an epic revenge. It was so refreshing to read a story that doesnt end cheesy.

[Nadia Turrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️
This was so good and the plot was plotting!

My main issue, which was mainly a me issue, was that a lot was being set up and not much was resolved. I get this was setting up for the next book, but when is that coming!!?!?!!? Have heard nothing of book 2, when book 1 came out in 2023!

[LittleBookLoves · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have so many thoughts about this book. It started off one way and ended nearly the exact same way.

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘: I started off liking the FMC. She was clever, smart, and brave. I understand that the Birds of Prey MMCs are all crazy and she was relying on them for survival, but there were scarce amounts of her early strengths and traits for the remainder of the book. It was almost like reading about a completely different character. While I appreciated us having some of the MMCs' perspectives and getting to see their gradual character development, it didn't exactly matter because they don't deviate from how they treat the FMC. She's never actually accepted as part of their group, not even by Falcon. It was also confusing how she goes from shame and fear of what they're doing to her, to desiring it and them because it seems very one-sided throughout the entire book. Vulture gives in briefly but then becomes even more detached. Don't get me wrong... I wasn't expecting a HEA from this book, but I was expecting some dark romance. I was expecting the FMC to be smart and have better survival skills, not put her trust into the wrong man again like she did Tyler/Taylor... whatever his name was. Her survival skills, literally, decreased since the beginning of the book. She changed from an FMC who started off being the brains of the operation and not depending on a man to wholly depending on these men who treated her as useless. Subjugation was the only survival skill of value? She had better survival skills when she first landed on the island and took out most of the Predators and injured two. Who knows...maybe the author's intention was for the reader to align with the Birds in viewing Nyx as pathetic. The majority of the book reads as a typical damsel in distress book.

I wasn't even surprised when Raven and the others ditched her. Also, Jayce offered her tips in exchange for her stealing something for him. That was the skillet she bragged about a ton in the beginning of the book, so it didn't make sense for her to not take him up on the offer much sooner in the book, especially considering how she was fully aware that she Birds never fully accepted her and Raven consistently talked about getting rid of her. They never even allowed her to sleep in or near her bed. 😄 So, I have no idea what the author wants us to think about Nyx or any of the Birds MMCs. I do hope to see more from Jayce in the next book. It seems like he is literally the only person trying to figure out why she's even on the island. As paranoid as Raven is, he's supposedly very intelligent so he should be the other person trying to figure it out instead of the weird "she's a spy" line the author has given him--just another thing in this book that doesn't make sense.

𝕽𝖔𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊/𝕾𝖕𝖎𝖈𝖊:🫑 Reading a whole book about men touching breasts or jerking off on a nude woman isn't romance or spice. She was their in-person porno magazine or video vixen. The only thing making this 🫑 level is that she got an accidental orgasm and Vulture had brief sex with her body. I can't even say that he had sex with her because they weren't unified in the experience at all, and it was meh.

𝕻𝖆𝖈𝖎𝖓𝖌: The pacing was horrendous. There are way too many times when this story is overloaded with erroneous details and internal thoughts, especially in the middle of an action scene or an important scene. I understand that sometimes this is used to convey a character's mental state or emotions, but it was used way too many times. As a result of this happening so many times, the story dragged a lot. At the 30% mark, I couldn't read any more irrelevant details and just skimmed read past those parts.

𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 𝕭𝖚𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌: Welcome to the jungle by Guns N' Roses was the key theme song of this setting. Allegedly, theres 12 gangs but we only learn about a small handful of them--Birds of Prey, Predators, Dragons, The Dollies/Dollfaces, Mountains, and Old Twinkle. There was a lot the author could have done to expand this world, but instead, we were given a lot of internal thought and erroneous details that didn't help to move the story forward. We are given a basic description of the layout of buildings, where the shower is located, target/torture practice, combat practice area, and the beach. Unfortunately, Nyx only sees survival tactics as pleasing the MMCs instead of learning the lay of the land and rules, despite her talking extensively about this being her strengths in the beginning of the book.


I'll read the sequel to see if anything is improved upon, but if it ends up being exactly like this first book, it may end up being a DNF.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mix feelings with this book. First, I want to say it’s an intriguing storyline, the FMC Nyx aka Phoenix is done in for a theft and after her sentencing, instead of being transported to a women’s prison like she thought she is knocked out and wakes up to find herself dumped out of an airplane over an island. The island is full of criminals (mostly men) who are the worst of the worst, where only the most vicious and cunning survive and eventually form suicide squads.

A few things that were a struggle for me:

1. Nyx’s treatment goes beyond bullying, at times it’s downright cruel and torturous. A lot of the treatment was degradation and humiliation and the FMC gradually comes to kind of like it. Now, I have no issue with these tropes, but I just didn’t feel it was done that well here. But in fairness to Nyx she keeps getting back up, regardless of what’s been done. And yes, the argument could be made that these guys are all criminals here and, of course, they are going to treat her badly. Except, the MMC’s have each others backs and work as team for survival. But here, it’s mainly one MMC who wants rid of her and the others fall in line, regardless one the 1-to-1 moments she has with the others.

2. At the beginning of the book, Nyx is made to be this tough, strong woman who pushes back. When she first gets to the island, she fights and she is quite badass, but then she just accepts and succumbs to being treated like dirt in the name of survival. I understand that standpoint, but I still wish she would have had more fight to her character with the MMC’s.

3. At times the story seemed to drag, with nothing really seeming to be happening, yet there were so many questions and information that I wanted to know in regards to her and the rest of the MMC’s.

These elements I struggled with I would usually reserve judgment on as this seems to be a first book to a series, and these areas are usually answered/addressed in the books that follow. However, I can’t discern if another book is in the works or not. And as it stands, this one ends in a pretty big cliffhanger and you’re definitely left feeling bereft.

If another book is in the works, I will definitely continue the series because I’d like to know what happens. And subsequent books may or may not change how I feel about this one.

If you intend to read this, please heed the trigger warnings. I’ve read my fair share of dark romance and don’t usually feel squeamish but some aspects of the story, in regards to the treatment of the FMC made me uncomfortable.

[Cheryl Bergeron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I waffled over the rating for this one - it’s dark and twisted for sure, so if you’re in the mood for some angst and wtf-ery, this will do it.
I went with a 3-star rating because I enjoyed it, but it had as many weaknesses as strengths. You feel something when you read it, but it doesn’t have the comprehensive story & character development that would make it great. You get multiple POV, mostly the FMC, but there’s only development from other storylines from Jayce’s perspective and the ultimate cliff hanger with that story line is weak.
You get the vibe of the island and the prison, but whatever the assignments the prisoners get and their reasons for being there seems like an after thought. You go through some tough stuff with Nyx and there’s no redemption arc for the Birds (which is fine). Her weird Stockholm syndrome, masochistic tendencies are fine as well (I like how she grapples with that stuff) - but you don’t end up caring for the Birds enough to hate them or to like them. They’re awful to Nyx so you get that anger at them, but that sort of falls away throughout.
The dramatic ending felt really watered down and I stopped caring about elements of the story - it should have wrapped with more info about who is watching the games and the reasons for why the Birds did what they did. The ending now isn’t an amazing cliff hanger - it just is what it is. Do you focus on what Jayce is trying to figure out, if the guys give a crap or not, if Nyx will get out of that hole, etc. The ending didn’t tie this up cohesively, which is why it gets a 3 and nothing higher.
I’d read the next one (that’s just who I am) but I’m not going to watch for a release date. The concept is cool, but a story like this deserves a kick ass ending and something for us to hold onto for Nyx, but how it ended missed the mark for me.

[J.M. Reads Sometimes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m invested

First of all- I liked it. I’m invested and I definitely want to read the next book. It’s pretty well written and has a unique and exciting plot. However, I felt like this book really could have used more backstory and character development. We get virtually zero information about the male characters and their histories, apart from a vague idea of their crimes. I even felt that the physical descriptions were lacking and too vague. So I found it difficult to care about the male characters.

Mild spoiler warning-
For the most part, they are very cruel save for some “she belongs to us, we’re the only ones allowed to hurt her” moments. So when some of the characters start to catch feelings, it feels kind of random and unsupported by the plot. And when there is a big “betrayal”, I was so unsurprised. Obviously these guys who have been cruel jerks the whole time are going to be jerks again. Nothing has led me to believe that they would suddenly be loving and honorable.

But speaking of the plot, I’m very interested in the whole setting and I’m looking forward to learning more about whatever conspiracy is happening on Wicked Island. I’m really into Jayce and want to find out what his tragic backstory is. And I’m interested to see how Nyx gets herself out of the dire situation that Book 1 leaves her in.

I’d say it’s definitely worth a read and I am looking forward to hopefully getting to know these characters more in the next book.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how to rate this - the beginning sucked me in, I think it’s a really cool concept and it definitely gave darker version of Squid Games vibes. The middle IMO dragged a little bit, I didn’t feel like there was a lot of relationship development. As in it felt very insta lusty, but the FMC seemed to be getting more attached to the men as the story went on without any real reason to if that makes sense? Like we didn’t really get to see a huge change in the dynamic from the men’s side. It was mainly the FMC adapting and changing in the dynamic.

I will say, I LOVED the cliff hanger!!! I really enjoyed finally seeing some action. I hope the FMC sticks to her promise at the end of the book, I’m ready for her to raise some hell and stand up for herself! I plan on reading the next book, but I would like to see a little more development of the relationships if this will become a why choose. I don't mind how dark it is, and I understand when dealing with psychopaths and sociopaths they aren't going to show or feel emotion the same way. I just would like to see more dimension to the characters

[Roxane V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whelp.

So I gave this a 4 star review because if you're into this it's probably good.
For me... yikes.

I kept reading, waiting for the moment that they would start treating her differently. If not that the moment she'd make them pay for the way they treated her. The book ends on a cliffhanger where once more they treat her like shit and our girl finally goes from survival state of mind to revenge state of mind.

Will I read the next book? Probably. Because I need to see the world burn after all the shit that was done to the mc by the male leads..

Normally with these kind of books you start with hating the romantic interests but then as you get to know them better, they reveal their likeable traits. Yeah. Sorry, but none of them have likeable traits.
I wouldn't shed a tear if they all died on their next mission.

I did like the main character though. She has a good head on her shoulders and is kind.

[Isla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything I always look for in a why-choose novel:

✅ Fiery yet knows-what's-good-for-her FMC
✅ Unhinged MMCs
✅ Intriguing and exciting storyline
✅ MMCs that you can actually tell apart
✅ Humor
✅ Action

I was hesitant to read this book due to some negative reviews I'd read. However, I feel that many of them came from the fact that the backgrounds of the main characters aren't thoroughly discussed yet; some are only brushed upon. So far, we've only read about their personalities without delving into exactly how they became who they are. I believe this is because we're still in the first book. As a lover of slow burns and book series, I always enjoy gradually getting to know the characters. Leaving small hints about the main characters' past lives only makes me want to read the next book even more. Upon reaching the ending, it feels almost criminal that there isn't a second book yet. I'm definitely going to stay up tonight thinking about it. 🕯️

[Aly ∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author made me wary of MC's boy toys, got me all dropping my guard, and them pulling that dirty betrayal.

The cliffhanger was illegal (as all cliffhangers). This book actually gave me chills. Was it because mc's male leads are a bunch of psychotic, misogynistic, weird, disturbing and a bunch of other words that can't describe them guys? Probably. But anyways, I agree with one of the review. I think Mc has to step up her game here other than picking her battles n stuff. Revenge game better be fire on the second book.


This book actually reminds me of "The Darkmore Penitentiary" crossed with "The Hunger Games" mixed in with "The Maze Runner" but with no zombies but rather hardened, messed up criminals on the brink of losing their sanity (or maybe they already have).

Anyways, can't wait for book two. Cheers 🍻.

[Tiffany Otero · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very, very dark. Definitely heed the trigger warnings. But overall, it was good. The concept is different which is what drew me in. Not much smut but that kind of ties into the…darkness of it. At times, I would get extremely frustrated or angry seeing as the FMC clearly has a very strong sense of Stockholm Syndrome, but considering where she is that’s to be expected. There’s more to the story than just the FMC’s survival and that’s what kept me reading, the overwhelming sense that everything just isn’t right and there’s something bigger going on. Nyx has no idea how she landed on this island full of murderers, rapists, and serial killers when she’s just a jewel thief, but I guess we’ll find out in the second book! I also can’t wait for her to get her revenge after that cliff hanger the author left us off at, ESPECIALLY with Raven. That manchild needs to count his days!