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The Way We Were Killers

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The Fallen war begins.

Lena is newlywed, but her marriage is riddled with old problems. She’s visiting Tulingrad with her husband Demitri when a group of Fallen, seeking a classified weapon, attacks the army base. As bullets fly, Demitri reveals his true nature and flees.

The city falls to the Children of Eve, and Lena finds herself aiding wounded Ardarion. She hides him from a powerful telepath hunting the inspector for his mind.

Misha arrives in Tulingrad as part of the relief effort but conflict sparks between the former captain and the inspector as both vie for Lena’s affection.

The republic reclaims its city, but the war is only beginning, and Lena must choose between reason and her heart.

‘The Way We Were Killers’ is a dark fantasy with a side of romance. It is the second book of the Fallen Duology and comes with a content advisory for strong language, graphic violence, and intimate situations. Reader discretion is advised.

297 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2024

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42 people want to read

About the author

Brien Feathers

25 books218 followers
Brien Feathers is a fantasy author living in the land of permanent frost, horses, and Mongols. She likes reading, writing (of course), riding, drinking dark beer, and checking things off a to-do list.

Although she claims to love everyone equally, she really loves her youngest son the most. He has autism superpowers that allow him to speak all types of rare languages including drumbeats, elevator dings, and police sirens.

Miss Feathers loves grey days, orange cats, and all creatures human or otherwise. And she hopes you will love her world (fantasy) and people (characters) as well.

Connect with the author.
Sign up for the Feathers Newsletter at https://www.brienfeathers.com.

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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Spiritedbookishbabe .
284 reviews46 followers
September 11, 2024
The book was amazing! I was hooked from the very first chapter. I couldn’t put the book down! I loved the whole story. I absolutely loved the characters
Profile Image for Ariel.
241 reviews15 followers
July 21, 2024
"The Way We Were Killers" by Brien Feathers is totally Lena's story. The tale as a whole feels like a love letter from Lena to her sweet Misha.

It is set about 2 years after the first in the past, a day or so in the present. Continues as the Fallen War begins.

Nothing is revealed beyond Lena's knowledge. Since she doesn't know what happens to Misha or advancement against dragons or the Children of Eve in the beginning. She is trying to live normally with a different man. The reader doesn't get to know either until she learns about it. Honestly, she feels a little disjointed from that part of the storyline. More like a passenger who is experiencing it only because she is there doting on her commander Misha. If she doesn't want to know or isn't told, the information isn't really revealed. Even with the book flipping perspective between carefree Lena and the man who has his fingers in all projects, Inspector Andarion. Andarion is so focused on following her, and winning her over, he keeps his mouth shut about most all else until the end.

This is a pro in that it allowed for a perspective that tells more about the other characters. Creating a depth as if the author were actually there viewing her characters actions and creating bonds. A very character driven story. I felt the admiration Lena has for the HKU Special team. The pain as the war continues. This style of writing did also allow for some heavy moments, surprise reveals, and easy reading pace.

A con in that I felt a large portion of the drama and action part of the story drops out because most of what happens to Misha without Lena there, is missing. Due to this I would say the story is more of a soft, roll to black screen romance set in a fanasy action/wartime backdrop. It is as I said, a loveletter. A letter with wonderful detail. It is sweet and loving yet serious and tragic.

I did enjoy reading. I like Brien's take on things. The way she seems to love her characters and try for the best, even in the darkest of situations. Try as she might, her stories never lose hope.

For clarity: I received an advance review copy from the author for free from BookSirens. Using the site is my choice and so is leaving reviews. This review here is left voluntarily.
Profile Image for RaeAnne Palmer.
145 reviews7 followers
July 22, 2024
Firstly, I absolutely loved book 1 and was so excited to dive into this one as well! Brein wrote such an amazing story that I love so much!

So, like the start of book 1, this book also starts off in current time. It does bounce between past and current, but it is very easy to tell what timeline we are in when reading! I actually think it's sort of fun!! The ending was absolutely perfect for me personally.

We are taken back to the past 2 years after Lena had left Misha at the train station. We follow Lena around again in the past but have no idea where Misha is or if he is even alive at this point. Lena is living her life the best she can, but it seems the world and the Fallen had other plans and started to attack. A second war takes place, and Lena can't sit back and do nothing, so she ends up re-enlisting in the military wherever she can help.

The fates decided at this point to bring Lena and Misha back together during this war. Unfortunately we also have Adi in the picture again and this time he's even worse then before(who knew you could hate him even more then you did before.) We meet a new group called HKU-S that is Misha's team and a little(not so little later) cutie named Courage.

That relationship we all wanted with Lena and Misha we get and a cherry on top in this book it is so good. There are betrayals and heartbreaks all in this book. I will admit i got tears in my eyes at one point in the book. BUT the end makes it all worth it!

I did receive this book as an ARC, but this is all my honest opinion. Thank you, Brien, for this opportunity to read such an amazing duology!
Profile Image for LiterallyLoriB.
320 reviews56 followers
August 19, 2024
The Way We Were Killers
By: Brien Feathers

Stars: 4 Stars
Spice: 2
Format: Ebook (Kindle)
Review: Book two…right back into the world and story I love. Again, I was completely enthralled by this story, especially the elements of a post-apocalyptic world war. I love Lena; she is a badass and takes no mess from anyone. Diving more into her marriage and life with Demetri was interesting. The deeper dive into Lena and Adi was great. I love understanding why Lena attaches to Adi the way she does when an internal conflict is apparent. I especially loved the overlap with her daughter Nikita- such a fun development and I love seeing how this unfolds. This book is action-packed, and I don’t want to give anything away. I definitely recommend…go read this book.
Pros: Still love Lena's fiery temper and no-nonsense attitude. She does exactly what she wants and I love it. When others run from danger, she runs towards it…amazing. Lena and Mishka…ugh…love.
Cons: Again, while I thoroughly enjoyed the story, it does need a bit of polishing. I truly believe that with some additional editing, this book could be a big deal. This story deserves more page time to give it the depth it deserves. It just needed more development and cleanup. But seriously…this is an amazing read.
TW: Profanity, Sex, Violence, Death
Recommend (Yes/No/Maybe): Yes, Absolutely. What a great finale. I love this series so much, and I want more.
Thank you, BookSirens, for allowing me to review this title.
2,900 reviews17 followers
July 8, 2024
Lena is with her husband Dimitri in Tulingrad when the Children of Eve Attack, instead of fleeing like her traitorous husband, she volunteers to fight even though she survived the previous war. The IA inspector, Adi, has betrayed her repeatedly, but she finds herself hiding him from a powerful telepath who wants to mine his mind for information so the leader of the Fallen can use that information to defeat the Republic. Her beloved Misha arrives in the city to help defeat the enemy, but his arrival with also reignites the bad blood between the IA inspector and the man Lena loves. The war is just beginning, but Lena will be forced to choose between her duty and the man she loves.
This is a very dark fantasy romance with, hmmm, a love triangle, where Lena must choose between two men. One who makes no secret about how he feels about her, feelings she does not return, and the other who knows that it is only a matter of time before he is betrayed by the government he is fighting for and to save from his own kind. Vicious battles, bloody betrayals, many unexpected twists in the plot, rape, and murder. Be warned, this book is not for the faint of heart. I highly recommend this book and series to other readers. I love it!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Profile Image for Nikita.
175 reviews16 followers
July 8, 2024
The Way We Were Killers is a strong follow up to The Way We Were Hunters and succeeds in delivering a satisfying conclusion to the duology!

This book continues telling Lena's story through flashbacks and present tense. Once again, I loved that the story moves between past and present seamlessly (and isn't confusing to follow). It presents the story in an engaging way!

Across both books, this story has it all! It's a unique take on a fantasy war novel, set in a fictionalized version of our historical world. It has violence and gore, a love story, MCs who can kick some ass, uneasy friendships, betrayals, and twists!

I mentioned in my review for book one that I loved how Lena's character isn't all powerful, but just a normal person trying her best when thrust into wild situations. This holds true across this book as well. Her character development feels natural and realistic, while still showing her growth.

I did feel that the ending felt a bit rushed, but overall this was still an enjoyable conclusion to the duology!

*Disclaimer: I was generously provided with an advance copy from the author via BookSirens. However, all viewpoints expressed above are my own!
Profile Image for Diamond.
96 reviews
July 9, 2024
I just finished the first book and HAD to find out how this duology ended. This book put me through a multitude of emotions. I was so happy for Lena and Misha, scared for them, so angry with Adi. I wanted to ring Adi's neck myself for thinking he could do everything he did and expect to still have Lena's love or forgiveness. The HKU-S, the newest group of military personnel comprised of fallen soldiers gave me a little hope that things would end well for them. Only a little though because in war you can't trust anyone.

Anyway, the characters in this book were magnificent. I loved Lena and Misha, obviously. But the rest of the HKU-S group including Kamilla were amazing. I fell for each and everyone of them. Courage, of course, had to be my favorite of all. That drakon had so much personality.

As the story progressed I understood why Nikita was doing what she did. He deserved it. I was happy with how it ended. Gave my heart the peace it needed. I do wish I could have read more about her marriage with her husband or even experienced an epilogue. Even without those the story was a great read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Jolie.
91 reviews
July 11, 2024
I had to read this immediately after finishing the first. It was a great and satisfying conclusion to the duology. It essentially details the rise and eventual fall of the Fallen wars and also jumps back and forth between timelines again.

I have to say, Lena is way too forgiving. I was thinking Nikita's hatred and punishment for Adi might have been a little too extreme, but after reading this one, I sided with Nikita more. It was easy to forget that Adi was untrustworthy and conniving, because of his charm and attitude towards Lena.

This one was a bit darker and sadder because you connect with more characters. The first book was gory, yes, but it centered on mainly Misha and Lena. In this book, you are introduced to another unit and they quickly become a found family. Since it is still wartime, you know not everyone will get a happy ending.

I will be keeping an eye on future releases from Brien Feathers because this series was wholly captivating.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for TaniaRina Valdespino.
458 reviews15 followers
July 15, 2024
‘Game over’
‘Children of peace’ aren’t the only ones who should be excited about seeing soldiers and guns. Anybody who has ever lived because somebody else sacrificed owes a debt of gratitude to our protectors. They give up their time, physical comfort, family time, mental health, and too often their lives for people unknown to them.
***I’m not talking politics here, but rather military personnel defending their land & loved ones.
And there are many people who others during times of tyranny and/or war. Advice such as “wear this instead”, “don’t go there”, “wait until daylight”, “stay at home”, “keep your eyes downward”, “hide in here”, etc. are whispered more often than one thinks they would be. The little braveries add up and end up saving lives, too.

I would hate to live in a place like this:
‘Motherland raised me and I am her weapon’
‘It’s voluntary, of course, but we do take attendance…’

Fave line:
‘Let’s go out there and get executed together. Would that be romantic?’
Profile Image for Clarice.
78 reviews1 follower
August 3, 2024
The Way We Were Killers by Brien Feathers

4.5/5 stars
0/5 spice
7/10 emotional damage
**trigger warning for SA (it’s not graphically described but HEAVILY implied so the reader knows it happened) and death of a child

ARC Review:

The Way We Were Killers is the second book in the Fallen duology by Brien Feathers set in Russia esque country during a war (think WWII, but instead of the enemy being the Axis Powers it’s the drakon and the fallen).

This was the book I needed. It fills in the relationship of Misha and Lena. We see Lena find her stride as a woman and as a soldier/nurse/get stuff done type of person. And we see some people finally get their comeuppance.

I enjoyed finally really seeing the relationship between Misha and Lena and the bond they built because sometimes you just know when you have met your person. The first book made their relationship feel very superficial, but this one—this one showed you they had that one in a million deeper connection that so many never truly find. You get to fall in love with Misha in this book because he’s willing to say “eff the world” if it’s what Lena really wants, and he shows her that over and over again throughout their time together during the war.

But this book also stayed true to the times in that Lena had to marry someone, find work if she wasn’t going to be a homemaker, and had insane pressure to have kids because that’s what good wives do, right? And it’s heavy at times; there is so much loss. It’s war time, so it’s inevitable, but still. I had to put it down for a bit a couple times just to grieve for the ones who died but also for those who lost them. Through all of this we see Lena pivot and just keep doing “the next right thing” when she’s too overwhelmed to think beyond the next step.

I took away 0.5 stars because this book contained a variant of my least favorite trope (think Marley and Me but different), which I won’t tell you because it’s a spoiler but why are authors such monsters? Haha.

This is the fifth book I have ARC read for Brien, and like the others before I love that she pulls me into the story and makes me feel how the characters feel. I can’t wait to see what she does next!
Profile Image for Lea Gesser.
311 reviews4 followers
July 8, 2024
I actually didn't expect a book to get any better, but it did. Part 2, even more exciting, darker, but also filled with so much hope and love. The story of Lena, now widow, children and grandchildren. But still in love with her Mischa. And Adi is also there, he does the greatest betrayal he could commit to her. And what he does to the other Fallen is also terrible. Fortunately, there is such a thing as Karma. I'm really not going to say more. Just that this is a beautiful book, fantastically written and you can't help but love the characters. Certainly a not so small Krill like Courage. This book is absolutely fantastic!
Profile Image for Joan Smith.
813 reviews21 followers
August 17, 2024
Thank you, Brien Feathers

This book is written more as a love story and less action based. It was well written with believable characters. It was out of the general tropes I usually read. I did enjoy the book, however, not as well as the first book.

The main FMC is starting her life again after losing the love of her life. The action part of the book is written more as a memory that the FMC learns about the same time as the reader learns about. Many of the first book scenes are mentioned again. I am glad I read the first book before I read this one. I did not feel it was a standalone book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kat M.
5,216 reviews18 followers
July 9, 2024
I was engaged with this world from the first book and this has improved on what I was looking for. It was a great dark fantasy and was everything that I was enjoying about the genre. The characters worked and thought the overall concept worked well with them. It felt like the same world and enjoyed the overall feel was great, the writing style was everything that I was expecting and can't wait for more in this world and from Brien Feathers.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
290 reviews6 followers
July 22, 2024
Wow. I loved the first book in the Fallen Duology, and The Way We Were Killers is a fantastic follow-up. The characters are vibrant, and the storytelling is deeply engrossing. The events of the book are at times beautiful and haunting, but ultimately, it's the characters and their relationships that really drive the story. I loved reading it. I highly recommend The Way We Were Killers to fans of dark fantasy, just be sure to start with the first book of the duology.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Siu Lum.
295 reviews4 followers
August 6, 2024
This duology is from Lena's point-of-view which somewhat limits what you can learn more about the world. It would have been interesting to know more about Adi's and Misha's point-of-view when it comes to the war.

This book did put you through an emotional roller-coaster. You will get angry at Dimitri and Adi. The book does live up to its happy ending tag though that ending is somewhat bittersweet.

Thank you BookSirens for the e-Arc.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for stephanie cox.
1,168 reviews19 followers
August 11, 2024

The Way We Were Killers by Brien Feathers is the compelling conclusion to the Fallen Duology, a dark fantasy series. The triggers—profanity, sex, violence, and death—are consistent with the genre, but the story’s real strength lies in its execution. This second installment delves into the past and the second war with the Fallen, focusing on the characters Lena, Misha, and Adi. The narrative weaves through themes of betrayal and culminates in a satisfying, modern-day resolution. I thoroughly enjoyed the series for its action-packed sequences, well-developed characters, and cohesive plot. Feathers has crafted an engaging and memorable conclusion to this intriguing series.
4,492 reviews21 followers
July 22, 2024
Lena, Misha, and Adi are back together and so is the drama, danger, war, and personal intrigue that made the first one so crazy. A true dark romance, it was fun to watch what happened to Lena and the men she must choose between. Highs and lows and drama kept me reading to the end to see how this one would end. And cannot forget the Fallen trouble too. Just a good story that is a bit different from the usual.
394 reviews4 followers
September 18, 2024
I can't say enough about this author. I enjoyed book 1 of the duology, and book 2 did not disappoint. The world and character-building, the love and betrayal, kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time—and the ending! Every book written by BrienFeathers has left me with an extremely satisfying end. I love Lena's character, Demetri. Ugh.

Thank you Booksirens for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Ann Brown.
3,464 reviews23 followers
July 22, 2024
Thus conclusion to the duology was touching, haunting, beautifully written and an excellent read which is character driven. War, danger and drama form the basis of this as well as the love Lena has for Misha. A duology that is refreshing and different.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for JB.
2,181 reviews8 followers
July 17, 2024
Swoon! I love a happy ending. Fabulous story, the characters are relatable and interesting, I felt their fears, happiness and love. This author is an automatic buy for me and I hope everyone else who reads her books feels the same way, enjoy!
Profile Image for Jackie.
146 reviews3 followers
October 16, 2024
It's the perfect second book in the Fallen Duology. I found Lena and Misha's story simply enthralling. The book powerfully portrays the brutal reality of war mixed with romance. The book is unputdownable! An absolute winner.
Profile Image for Donna.
818 reviews13 followers
March 19, 2025
I enjoyed reading this book and recommend for older readers. I am looking forward to reading more of Brien Feathers' books
139 reviews1 follower
November 7, 2024
A befitting and sweet ending to the love story of Misha and Lena. The snake got what he deserved too.

Liked this more than the first book. 4.5 stars.
Profile Image for Heather.
118 reviews3 followers
July 21, 2024
What a beautiful ending to this duology. I absolutely hated Demetri and by the end of this I hated Adi too, which made the ending that much sweeter.

This second book takes us through the past and the second war, with the fallen. Following Lena, Misha and Adi. With utter betrayal, this story ends in present times with the best kind of happily ever after.

I loved every bit of this book and my heart aches over the HKU-S and Courage.

I received this book as an ARC through BookSirens.
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