I adored book one, loved this one a bit less because it wasn't exactly on the same level as Deviant Virtue.
I kept putting off finishing this series (or technically this story in it) because I was afraid of how it would end...LITTLE DID I KNOW, I should've been very afraid.
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING MISS KING???? UNCALLED FOR, THAT'S WHAT. And since it seems this couple's story is over (for now? Forever? Who knows.), I'm going to have to go scream into a void, thanks.
PLEASE LET PLEASEEEE. This is so unfair. I know not all stories can end happy but AGH.
Even if the ending stays as is, I need a little update on to see how doing after all of that.
One flaw this book has is that, despite being fun to read, it didn't flow as well as the first. I wasn't as into the story as before, which might be due to the fact that I waited over a year to read this (plus all the months in between the release of books 1 and 2), or it could just be the book.
Either way, I'm glad I sat down to finally read it, now I feel ready to tackle this author's other books (it felt wrong to, when I didn't yet finish/catch up with this series).
The most mesmerizing, yet wicked look was in his eyes. Dangerous, compelling, inhumane. Everything I craved and beyond.
Kat King is so darn talented and you cannot tell me otherwise without reading this book! After Deviant Virtue, I wanted the second one straight away and it was so hard waiting to dive back into these two and their crazy outrageous story, but honestly it was worth the wait. As was with the first book, Ekaterina and Davorin are a different sort of couple, both utterly insane yet obsessed with one another. Its really hard to describe the story without spoilers, but it was so beautiful and a little hurty and completely spicy and I loved it so much I am going to have to do a reread of the books! I can't wait to read the rest of the series when it comes out, and Kat King is becoming a fast favourite of mine!
What To Expect: ⨳ Dark MF Romance ⨳ Strong FMC ⨳ Russian Mafia ⨳ Stalker ⨳ Both MCs are Crazy ⨳ All The Spice
It was foolish to assume death would do us part. Even in death we were chained together by the blood on our hands.
❤︎ ARC provided in exchange for an honest review ❤︎
WTH was that ending ???? The book was all over the place. I found the ending of the 1st one weird but was hoping to understand things in the second. Well absolutely not : complete waste of time
SHE IS SOVEREIGN; SHE RULES HERSELF & ANSWER TO NO ONE
Let me tell you, Kat King got me in a chokehold, then put me on a leash with this duet 😫 Kaya is the epitome of destructive grace, a storm in human form that no one can tame. She is a psychopath, unhinged, emotionally unavailable.. she is sovereign; she rules herself & answer to no one.
I LOVE HER SO MUCH!
The Mastermind duet is not what we typically see in Dark Mafia Romance books. It flips the common narratives we often get where the FMC is vulnerable, forced to submission & stripped of power. Not Kaya, Not Ekaterina Kalashnikova. I live, eat & breathe for her 🤌🏻🔥
As someone who devours countless plot-driven movies and books, I usually find it easy to predict what’s coming, but not this time. No… Kat King played me like a game of chess, one I was so sure I’d win. What an absolute brilliance!
The perfect crime, a doomed romance and two villains who’ve got fate on their tails. Kat has truly outdone herself weaving the threads of Cruel Fate which truly kept me hooked throughout the book! I CAN NOT STOP reading and I cannot wait to read!!
Holy fuck! What did I just read? What did she told him? Is she in it still or not? I have so many questions! I need to process. I wonder how the next book is being written and if we come around to talk about this and what the fuck just happened.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/6. 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5.
This was a very fascinating and interesting read but also one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. However, this was a dark romance for the most but with a very open ending so there’s no hea and a lot of questions by the end of it so not really a romance. This is also part 2 of Deviant Virtue so you do have to read the books in order. The author did say that the series for the most part is romance meaning 2 of the 3 couples will have hea’s.
I loved Adrik’s aka Davorin & Kaya together and how their relationship worked. It was very fascinating seeing how their mind worked but also their cat and mouse game. I loved how you could grasp how deep their obsession ran for each other but also how much they were willing to do for each other. I just wish there was an hea for them in this one but maybe we’ll get one in the future.
The last chapter left me feeling some kind of way for sure. I have so many questions!
Aleskei, Kaya’s twin brother, had an interesting scene which makes me question some things and where this series is going. I’m a romance reader through and through but I will continue reading Kat’s books because they are so addictive and fascinating.
If you want to read about psychopaths/ sociopaths/ K!lees and you don’t need an hea then give Kat’s books a go. You won’t regret it!
* I read an arc of this book. *
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
i‘m not sure what i think of this book but i‘m not a fan of the length. they’re a little over 200 pages which means you can‘t get into depth about everything and have to write multiple books which is this case.
i really thought omg it‘s finally happening in this book so i was excited to see how the author is gonna write it. well of course it didn’t happen and now i have to wait more.🫠
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A bit late with this review, but I'll try to make it as spoiler free as possible.
Reading the first book and receiving a cliff hanger, only to find out the second book wasn't out absolutely broke my heart. But God, the wait was worth it. Kat I have to admit that this book really threw me in a loophole. So many things were revealed in this book only for me to still have so many questions left. The ending?? I need more!
I absolutely love Ekaterina and Davorin's relationship. Their cat and mouse game was the best and it always kept me wanting to read more. I might've even loved it a bit too much. Psychopathic stalkers are truly starting to become my thing.
Finish reading Cruel Fate, the sequel to Deviant Virtue, from the Mastermind series. And this sequel was just wonderful. I was afraid of not liking it since I didn't like the author's previous release, Letters From Hell, for me it's her weakest work, so I was afraid of being disappointed with Cruel Fate, but I'm glad the exact opposite happened.
Cruel Fate picks up right where Deviant Virtue left off. Ekaterina is still seeking revenge against her father, especially for all the years she suffered at his hand. But she's also being hunted by several assassins sent by her father to kill her and make her reveal where something her father is looking for.
The story is frenetic, it's not a reading that you get tired of. The book isn't very long and the author knew very well how to fit everything she needed into just 273 pages. It's all on point.
By the way, another thing that is on point are the romance scenes between Ekaterina and Davorin. Kat King knew very well how to balance the romance with the rest of the plot, so nothing is in excess. There are only about 3 s3x scenes in the whole book, and they're amazing. I was already a fan of this couple, and after this book I became even more.
I love the couple Ekaterina and Davorin, I love how the love between them is something really like fire, something strong, something consuming. They attract and repel each other in such an intense but beautiful way. I love how the author portrays Ekaterina as an extremely cold, calculating character, but many times when she meets Davorin she gets lost in the feelings she feels for him, for all the love and obsession. Davorin is able to bring this cruel and murderous girl completely to her knees for him and him alone. The same way he did for her.
I'm not going to lie that many times the indifference and coldness that Ekateriana has for others bothered me, but at the same time I like it. It's very difficult to find nowadays a really cruel, cold female characters who assume and really do justice to that personality. Many authors put this in their characters, but they don't sustain it. Kat King does it and manages to execute it very well!
And the end. I was really hoping for a happy ending, but it doesn't have a happy ending. It's an open-ended ending that left me completely speechless and in dire need of the next book. I just want to know how the author will connect this ending with the next book, since the story of Ekaterina and Davorin concludes in Cruel Fate and the next one will be Dominik, Ekaterina's brother.
I immediately need the sequel and of course I highly recommend these books.
Conclui a leitura de Cruel Fate, continuação de Deviant Virtue, da série Mastermind. E essa continuação foi simplesmente maravilhosa. Eu estava com medo de não gostar já que eu não gostei do lançamento anterior da autora, Letters From Hell, pra mim é a obra dela mais fraca, então fiquei com medo de me decepcionar com Cruel Fate, mas ainda bem que aconteceu exatamente o oposto.
Cruel Fate começa exatamente de onde Deviant Virtue terminou. Ekaterina ainda busca vingança contra o pai, principalmente por todos os anos em que ela sofreu na mão dele. Mas ela também está sendo caçada por vários assassinos enviados pelo pai para matá-la e fazê-la revelar onde está algo que o pai dela tanto procura.
A história é frenética, a cada página acontece alguma coisa então não é uma leitura parada, não é uma leitura que você se cansa. O livro já não é muito longo e a autora soube muito bem encaixar tudo o que precisava em apenas 273 páginas. Está tudo no ponto certo. Inclusive outra coisa que está no ponto certo são as cenas de romance entre a Ekaterina e o Davorin. Kat King soube muito bem balancear o romance com o restante da trama, então nada fica em excesso. Há apenas umas 3 cenas de s3xo durante o livro todo, e elas s��o incríveis. Eu já era fã desse casal, e depois desse livro me tornei ainda mais fã.
Eu amo o casal Ekaterina e Davorin, eu amo como o amor entre eles é algo realmente como fogo, algo forte, algo que consome. Eles se atraem e se repelem de uma forma tão intensa, mas tão bonita. Eu adoro como a autora retrata a Ekaterina como uma personagem extremamente fria, calculista, mas muitas vezes quando ela se encontra com o Davorin ela se perde em meio aos sentimentos que ela sente por ele, por todo o amor e obsessão. O Davorin é capaz de deixar essa garota cruel e assassina completamente de joelhos por ele e apenas por ele. Da mesma forma que ele por ela.
Não vou mentir que muitas vezes a indiferença e frieza que a Ekateriana tem pelos outros me incomodou, mas ao mesmo tempo eu gosto disso. É muito difícil achar hoje em dia personagens femininas cruéis mesmo, frias e que assumem e realmente faz jus a essa personalidade. Muitas autoras colocam isso em suas personagens, mas não sustentam. Kat King faz e consegue executar muito bem!
E o final. Eu realmente estava esperando um final feliz, mas não tem final feliz. É um final aberto que me deixou completamente sem palavras e precisando urgentemente do próximo livro. Eu só quero saber como a autora vai conectar esse final com o próximo livro, sendo que a história da Ekaterina e do Davorin se conclui em Cruel Fate e o próximo será do Dominik, o irmão da Ekaterina.
Eu necessito imediatamente da continuação e claro recomendo muito esses livros.
A doomed romance. This is not normally the kind of book I read but I'm grateful the Kat for the ARC. I did actually enjoy this so glad I did read it. This is book 2 in the mastermind series and need to be read after the 1st one.
It's really special book and I have to reread it cause it ends with a cliffhanger so come back to it babe Ekaterina and Davorin 5✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️ 5🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
◇Russian mafia ◇strong as hell heroine ◇OBSESSION
Some quotes The look in her eyes told me everything. The woman who never thought twice about pulling the trigger, the woman who tossed people aside the second she didn’t need them anymore, the woman who held so much power over me hesitated. Ekaterina hesitated.
My perfect partner in crime. Someone who liked to torture and take lives as much as I did. Someone who liked the stench of fresh blood. The other half of me.
But was it possible for two villains to get their happy ending? We were falling, but this was no fable, and love didn’t conquer all.
I didn’t believe in second chances. People who were willing to hurt me once would do it twice.
“Take care of yourself, princess.” The nickname tugged something in my heart, but the feeling vanished just as quickly as it had come.
With a nod, I turned and walked away—away from the only life I knew; from the only people I knew. It was a good thing. I felt relieved; I felt overwhelmed.
He’d ruined it all. He’d ruined the perfect little life I’d laid out for us.
No one had ever had such an impact on my life—on me. Her play on words, that cat and mouse game that she adored deeply—all of it pulled me in. If she wanted, I would’ve chased her to the ends of the world.
In this dark, cold world, Ekaterina, despite being a synonym for wickedness, was the only ray of sunshine. She didn’t smile often yet when she did, everything in me wanted to claim her, to show to the world who she belonged to.
Somehow, closing my eyes felt natural. It was the easiest part.
“Let me go.” “Pull the damn trigger, little lion.” My eyes softened.
“My little lion is dead.”
“Kiss me, then.” And slap him, I did.
Davorin was still on his knees. Unmoving, barely breathing or blinking. There was not a chance he’d leave me alone, even if I asked. And that meant that sooner or later, he’d figure it all out. I wanted to be the one to tell him. To let him in on my plans and even ask for his help.
Until now, I hadn’t realized just how much I’d changed. It was him that had changed me.
We were each other’s worst nightmare. It was foolish to assume death would do us part. Even in death, we were chained together by the blood on our hands, the merciless veins that ran through our bodies. Each other’s perfect match made in hell.
A grin was on his face. My wish is his command.
ask me what you want
Ekaterina Kalashnikova, the devil herself.
Then I said it. Two sentences. Two sentences that completely changed the trajectory of our relationship.
With one last breath, I closed my eyes. It was game over. And in the end, I had no one to blame except myself and this cruel fate.
I got the ARC for this book and I can't believe I now have to wait like 2 weeks to be able to discuss the details with others 😭. I absolutely wasn't expecting the things that happened to happen and that is part of why I love this book so much! It's nice to be a little blindsided so you don't feel like you're reading the same book over and over again.
This series is super fun because so often you just see morally grey (or in this case, pitch black) male MCs but in the Mastermind series the FMC is also an obsessive psychopath too. Ekaterina is crazy. Like really really, needs to be locked up forever, crazy. I just love that for her. And I really love how she is dead set on pissing off Davorin. Her constantly making him regret his whole life at every moment makes the books so entertaining.
Their romance isn't the most...romantic, but man do I love watching them flirt, even if their method of flirting is a little unconventional. And Kat REALLY knows how to turn up the heat in her books 🥵
Definitely mind your triggers but if you're up for it, I absolutely recommend this book (and of course read Deviant Virtue if you haven't yet!)
This book literally put me at a loss for words. I did not take this title seriously enough. I became so invested in these characters even from book one. The FMC and MMC could be awful to each other but the chemistry was still exploding. They hated everyone. Even each other so when they felt love it was so foreign to the both of them. Their hate and love for one another was equally strong. SO many things kept happening that shocked me. The story had so much depth and detail. I feel my feelings for this book are the same as their feelings for one another. I want to give it a three because I am acting like a childish baby and did not get my way, however; the story was written well and it ended the way it should have.
QUOTES ~There is a thin line between love and hate, and we were constantly jumping from one side to the other.
~We were each other's worst nightmare.
~The first few slashes I'd given him had already stopped bleeding, though they must've hurt. They weren't as deep as I'd hoped, but the night was still young, and the rest of his body sat before me like a blank canvas.
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: touch her & you d*e, dark, heroine in danger
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: gore, torture, murder, violence & more
I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS IS HOW THE BOOK ENDS!!
Kat, I understand perfectly that there are going to be 5 books in the series, but I need more Kaya & Davorin. I need to know that they made it. Or just give us a glimpse into their future, I just need to know.
Going back to the review itself, you are not prepared for this book! It's wild from the beginning to the end.
Ekaterina and Davorin are still as strong and make a very hot couple. They are so crazy, I just adore them.
A lot happens in this book and it keeps you in suspense, and you keep wondering when it will all be resolved.
And what hurts the most is that only at the end do you understand why the author chose this title. BRB, I'm gonna go cry a little more.
Thank you Kat King for writing this amazing masterpiece!
This is book 2 and book 1 (Deviant Virtue) must be read first.
I’m giving this 5 stars purely for making me throw my kindle across the room (it’s ok it survived don’t panic!)
But what the actual F was that ending? No Kat. That’s not ok. You cannot leave me like that. The way I kept swiping to see if there was more.. But there wasn’t. Sad panda.
Ok, on to the serious bit of the review.. This was amazing. This dark romance was action packed! Davorin and Ekaterina are just the most perfect toxic couple. I love them so much. The way they are both extremely unhinged yet work together so well. The spice does not overpower the plot at all and is a very nice addition. I am possibly now into things I was not sure I would be into.. hmm…
I won’t give anything away but chapter 15 – THAT is how it is done! Holy moly. Sooo much action I was turning the pages as quickly as I could.
If you like dark romance that will rip your heart out, stuff it back in then pull it out again. Read these books.
^“Until death do us part, this game would continue. He was mine, as I was his. No one alive could dispute that. And those who dared to question it would die by my hands.”*
wow!!! This was a wild ride. From beginning to end I was hooked, especially after the cliffhanger in book one (Deviant Virtue).
Ekaterina and Davorin continue to be one of my favorite couples, they’re so crazy I’m obsessed.
^“Ekaterina craved me as much as I craved her. Two sinister people”^
The ending really has me shocked and I didn’t expect it AT ALL. ahhhhhh! No words, still shocked.
Overall, this book was amazing and I loved to see what finally happened after book 1. crazy crazy crazy crazy is all I can say. 🤭🖤🔪
I was not prepared for the ending of this book. I jumped into this one IMMEDIATELY after finishing book one because I had to see what was going to happen with Kaya and Adrik. And I have to say that I did not see things playing out between the two the way it did. Kat King is a master at twists and turns and keeping you guessing about what is going to happen next. The only thing that kept me from rating this a five star was that the ending was very unsatisfying to me and this one didn't keep me as enthralled as the first book did. So basically Kat King just set the bar too high for herself with the first book and this one was a little below that mark. If you like plot with your spice, this series is the best.
When I tell you that this book had me on toes, I'm not lying. The whole plot and ideas were so well written that after reading it, I had to put it down. Just to be able to deal with it. When she is calling the series The Mastermind, it's for a reason. But in my opinion, she is the real mastermind. I have so many questions. That's a for sure thing. But I don't regret reading this. It was so good. That's it. No more words. Just read it.
Book 2 was even better then expected. We got the back story of how she got davorin out of prison. What her connection it to the other guy! We also got what happened to aleksei soon to be wife and who was behind that! How she does care at least about one friend! The ending definitely gives you a cliffhanger can't wait for book 3
"From the day Ekaterina saw me for the first time, she was mine, and she knew it."
★★★★★/5 stars
I knew going into this book that something big was going to happen but I wasn't not expecting that. Kat, what am I supposed to do now that the story for these two is over. How am I supposed to move on??
Ekaterina will continue to be one of my favorite FMC's ever. I don't care what anyone says this woman has a chokehold on me. She's honestly such a badass. I truly felt for her and everything she had to go through in her childhood and even in adulthood. She claims to not care for the people around her but you can tell just from actions alone that she's got a touch of a soft spot.
Adrik is just ugh he's chef's kiss. This man was so gone for Ekaterina and I don't think he'll ever get over it. The cat and mouse between these two was just everything and more.
To be honest when reading this book I had absolutely no idea where this story was going to go and I think that's why l love these characters and this story so much. My heart was racing for pretty much all of this book. Kat's writing is just so addictive and has you guessing the whole time about what will happen. I can't write too much without giving anything away but I will say, I am a romance girly to the end and this one definitely hurt me. But with that being said, Kat's writing just does it for me.
Kat King strikes gold once more! Book two of the series had me hooked just like the first one. The spice, the drama, and those lovable nutty characters have me head over heels. Bring on book three—I'm ready for more!
what even was the ending?? was it just for the shock value?? what did kaya reveal in the end?? there are still so many questions the author didn’t answer, you cant just end a book duet like this. is there going to be another book??? i cant find any info anywhere
KATTTTT guuuurl!!!!! Why you do this to me??? Did you have to writte that ending?? I am shooketh. I have been sitting on this review for days now and I still don't know what to say. I mean don't get me wrong, this book was friking amazing, but all can think about is the ending. I just can't get over it. I.... I am in shock. Pleas tell me book 3 will available to ARC read ASAP. PLEEEASSEEE!!!!!
Go read this book and get back to me so we can be shocked together. I need to vent to someone because I can't accept that ending to being real. I just can't.
Cruel Fate by Kat King is book two in the Mastermind Series and picks up right where Deviant Virtue left off. This is a fast paced, action packed, dark romance. Although, at times, the turbulent romance is chaotic and questionable. Davorin and Ekaterina are the most dynamic, toxic, unhinged, volatile couple, and I love them. Both of our villains are quite calculating, unstable and utterly obsessed with each other willing to sacrifice everything for the other’s survival. I enjoy their unorthodox, flirty banter, and combustible chemistry. Violence, murder, mystery, secrets, and betrayal all come together to make this amazing story a true page turner. A very shocking ending has left me with so many unanswered questions I am looking forward to seeing where this story is going.