Breaking Jade

A Companion Book To Fallocaust #1

by Quil Carter

Skyfall, the only city that King Silas spared when he started the Fallocaust. It is a safe haven from the radiation, and a place where there is plant life, electricity, protection; things never seen or felt in the lawless, savage greywastes.

In Skyfall lives a teenager named Jade, born and raised in the 'slum district' Moros by an insane mother. He steals and cheats in any way he can to keep him and his boyfriend alive for another winter, all while longing for a better life, some place warm beyond the slums.

Then a chance encounter brings Jade into the sights of the most important and most feared chimera in Skyfall, Elish Dekker. A man of statuesque elegance, cold beauty, and a reputation for being the most heartless and cruel chimera in existence.

And though Elish may not understand why, he does know one thing for sure... the boy will be his pet.

Note: This is a companion book to Book 1 of The Fallocaust Series, it is extremely urged that you read Fallocaust Book 1 before reading Breaking Jade, since this book does contain plot spoilers for the series.

Genres: Dark, M M Romance, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Horror, Abuse, Romance

761 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 27, 2014

About the author

Quil Carter has been writing stories since he learned how to write. Now that people seem to like his stories, this is pretty much what he is planning on doing with his life.

Reviews

[Julio Genao]

I spent an hour reading reviews of this and all I have to say is

sometimes I feel like my "no" shelf needs a name that better reflects the scope of my feelings of revulsion

like a string of stabby knife emojis, maybe

let's make that happen, goodreads

emoji shelf names

then I can have a kill-it-with-fire shelf that is basically a knife, a skull, and a flame

*is geniouuuuuuuzs*

[Quil Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book, its twisted, dark and at times cruel but there is also a lot of redemption and hope. I must say, I think it is brilliant, that being said though I might be biast... I am currently sleeping with the author.

[nark · Rating 5 out of 5]

really great world building, lots of pain and suffering. what’s not to love.

glad i didn’t skip this companion book even though i was very tempted to move on to book two of fallocaust because of that cliffhanger... can’t wait to read the next books in the series!

[⚣ Marco ⚣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi! My name is Marco and I'm a Fallocunt. I am totally and utterly devoted to this series.

[Lila]

ETA: 11/26/2014

I mentioned in my updates and review that this book reminded me of Ai no Kusabi Vol. 1: Stranger. I couldn't be sure, since I read it a long time ago and I couldn't find anywhere to purchase new copies to make a valid comparison nor I could find anyone who read both books. Lucky for me, it was just a matter of waiting.
My friend Ran in her updates is doing a pretty damn good job of listing similarities. For me they are enough to take a stand. Ai No Kusabi is a classic in yaoi world and deserves respect.


If this is not a deal breaker for you, I'll leave my original review. ;)

***********************


First things first: I guess majority of readers are considering reading Breaking Jade because they just finished reading Fallocaust. If you are not one of them, then I suggest you go back, check that book first and see what you're getting into. Plot of BJ touches some events that are spoilerish for Fallocaust and therefore I consider them free game for discussing in review for BJ. Don't say I didn't warn you.
The second thing: I was asked about Breaking Jade timeline. Breaking Jade covers the events prior to Fallocaust, but toward the end, stories are inescapably tying to each other. Hmm... I would say Jade and Elish came across each other one year before Killian comes to Aras and gains his own personal psycho stalker. :D

The Good, The Not-So-Good and the WTF of Breaking Jade :


Well, to be frank, blurb of BJ would not make me pick it right away. Story set in dystopian society divided into two casts about a rich and powerful guy who takes poor boy for his sex slave but they end up falling in love? It's already done so many times in several varieties and with different levels of success here, or here, or here... See where I'm going with this? I read too many of them to be excited about blurb that has this line :"And though Elish may not understand why, he does know one thing for sure... the boy will be his pet." Actually, my first update while I was reading was that it brings back Ai no Kusabi Vol. 1: Stranger memories. This happened more then once. It's not just the way characters look, which is like this:



...but it's also very similar in terms of Skyland, Moros and Eros setting. So, I wondered if maybe this was an author's nod to that work. I don't know, but for Ai No Kusabi fans this story may be interesting because it's giving them different, "what if" ending. ;)

So, like I said in my review of Fallocaust, my reason for reading BJ was to see different side of this world- to see Skyfall and to find out more about chimeras. As it happened, chimeras left the biggest impression on me.
You see, when I finished reading Fallocaust, I didn't have many information beside them being personal Silas' army he made and rules with. So, they seemed very generic and indistinguishable at this point. There are few names dropped around, especially in conversation Killian has with Reaver and Reno while kicking their ass in SuperMario cart and the terrible memories Perish shares with Killian. In fact, from those memories we can rightfully assume that some of them are really bad like Nero and other are somewhat better like Elish and Garrett. Ha!


So, chimeras. Chimera is a hybrid creature from Greek mythology composed of parts from three different animals, but it's often used in modern culture as a synonym for bioengineering. So yes,Skyfall chimeras are superhumans, designed and created in a lab by King Silas; each one of them for a specific purpose. That is particularly true when it comes to first generation (Elish, Garrett and Nero) who hold different branches of Silas' supremacy and maintain his authority in every aspect of human life. But, it's more complicated than that. Silas designed every part of them from how they look to how they behave. For example,imo, when he was creating Elish, Silas wanted to create perfection. If there is anyone there whom regular people can't look at without feeling inferior, it's Elish. He has blond hair, purple eyes, he is always wearing white and grey suits with robe and he is so beautiful and almost alien in his perfection that he makes people think chimeras are all gods. On the other side, Garrett had black hair and green eyes, he is wearing pre-Fallocaust clothes and he is generally a cheerful guy which makes him, deceivingly, more approachable and perfect for position of running SkyTech. Nero is, of course, all brutal strength and fighting skills. Later generations are even more inhuman, pimped up, enhanced and fucked up, but this is Silas we talk about- of course he started playing with his experiments(which makes me think that Perish wasn't so wrong for thinking Silas had some affection toward him- they share the same enthusiasm for their creations). So,Silas gave them different personality traits,he tweaked a little here, chucked a bit out of there... and suddenly this world for me was not just revolving around 4 characters; I became interested in all of their stories.
But, as I was reminded so many times, they are their father's children. They are all created from his DNA, he gave them one part of him and honed it in them to maximum, but one thing they all have in common is his cruelty and his blood thirst. Do you remember how vicious Reaver was toward Killian a few times, aiming with his jabs and words where it hurts the most(while watching Perish being raped by Nero, for example)? Well, this is chimera thing. Oh man, their get-together is like a Rob Zombie horror movie. They are all fucking disturbed and mental and watching pain is like a food for soul to them and Silas is just a...a benevolent father of dysfunctional family. :D

In my head chimeras' childhood memories were something like this:

(Garrettt comes running to Silas)
- Master, Elish, stabbed me because I said he has a girly hair!
Silas looks proudly at Elish and say:" oh, my beautiful firstborn, aim to kill next time. Now go to your room and lock yourself in the closet."

Chimeras were fun. :D

I should say something about our main characters. Well, they are the reason for Not-So-Good and WTF reactions. Ok, I guess this is more due to personal tastes, but I am not very fond of stories where romantic relationship is in such imbalance; where one character holds position of power in boundaries so firmly established they can't be changed. Well, that's the deal with Jade and Elish. And I am not just talking about their background or sexual dynamic (though, I really can't see this happening other way around as well)- I am talking about the fact that one character calls all the shots between them. People, Elish as a romantic interest is really, really hard to like. This is the reason I enjoyed Fallocaust more- Reaver is an evil and sociopathic fucker (most adorable, of course) but I never had a feeling he threats Killian anything different than equal partner in their relationship. But Elish? Nope. Let me tell you few things about him. He is King's Firstborn, he is his second in command, but he has control issues and a dominance streak a mile long. His every action and every word is conveyed to make clear who is in charge and he spares no victims when this is brought in question. Not even his cicero.
Jade is awesome and funny and sarcastic and snarky and fierce...except when Elish fucks him over and that happened more than once. And when Elish hurts Jade, he becomes so damn self-destructing and I felt so sorry for him it was hard to read...I guess killing spree is a normal behavior for teenage chimeras, but I find it a bit of a stretch. This was even more intensified due to the fact that author (inexplicably?) changed the narrative suddenly and went from third person pov to first person pov and being in Jade's head so closely during Book Two was...well, not fun. I can tell you this: the blood and gore and cannibalism of Fallocaust for me were nothing compared to this self-inflicted deteriorating Jade goes through. Just, nope.
So, they share turbulent, violent and crazy relationship, but in my opinion at one point it became downright toxic (my wtf)- They say that biggest proof of dominance over your lover is sharing him/her with someone other, but taking the circumstances and people involved (Luca) in consideration, I can't find the reason to understand Elish's action regarding this.
My rating is mostly due to last third of the book. Up to that point it was solid 3 star read, but last third reminded me the most of Fallocaust and it was plain awesome. We, finally get some insight into Elish's head and I realized that was what I was missing in first half. I may be liking him more if it happened sooner. Their conversations were so much fun here and they were my favorite scenes of this book. Also, this part is where Quil's talent shines; where we get the story beyond written words:

He taught them, doted on them, raised them but they never called them father, only his single daughter, an unwanted twin of Nero who Silas decided to let live from mere curiosity, had been given that privilege.
The reason behind that was made clear when the three male chimeras had turned fifteen.

Silas, that crazy fucker. :) Ok, I have to admit I have a soft spot for him. Oh, he has to be dealt with, because he is beyond insane (note here: Silas should be forbidden to get near anyone's "crotchal area*"), but I find him really interesting. It started with Fallocaust when I realized he went to investigate Donnely alone, despite the fact he has chimeras and Legion at his disposal (just wtf did he do with wolfdog?!?!? It's driving me crazy. :| ), but Quil threw another curve ball in story regarding him and it really made me curious. He is over 250y old and Elish is little over 90y...so I guess he was alone for a very long time... Just enough to make everyone crazy. He is also the reason I think the ending was actually brilliant which I guess, not everyone will. The wedding may be weird and uncharacteristic act for Silas, but when did he do anything out of kindness of his heart? I believe he is aware of Elish's plans to overthrow him and become the new king. This way he made Elish and Jade a package deal and it was hinted that other chimeras may be tolerant with taking orders from Elish, but not from Jade.

So, this book left me with another big question I can't wait to be answered in next book. If after Fallocaust I was sure Silas has to go, after Breaking Jade I wonder if he goes, who will replace him? Reaver? Elish? Ha! Post-Fallocaust humans.... I fear for you... :D

The other BIG reason I loved this book and I am looking forward to next one is because Quil hinted another couple and:






*I am forever corrupted by Jesse Cox. I regret nothing. :|

p.s. (glaring spelling mistakes still present unfortunately. :( Of the top of my head: difference between "apart" and "a part of" was disregarded and such.)

[Ran ♠ · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

First, let me just get this out of my chest. FUCK THIS SHIT!
If you don't wanna read this long review, then some of my text convo with Rin pretty much sums up my reading experience with this book. the shit we do #4REAVER
Oh you wouldn't believe the torture this book made me endure. My brain was crying the whole time because I just couldn't believe what I was reading. I mentioned in my review of Fallocaust book 1 about its similarities with Ai No Kusabi and then later on verified it when I accidentally read Lege's review of Breaking Jade and then verified it myself when I started reading this book. Not just that! Breaking Jade also has Taming Riki in it! Yep, here you go ladies and gentlemen, Ai No Kusabi and Taming Riki in one book!

Ai No Kusabi is considered a classic in the yaoi world and it's first publication draws back to 1986 originally serialized in a yaoi magazine.





The thing is, I wouldn't feel like this had the author only used just the "concept" of Ai No Kusabi in this book. Or let's put it in a nice way, "Inspired by Ai No Kusabi". But, Jesus Christ, though more or less altered, the character's personality, the setting, the series of events, the characters...let's face it, Breaking Jade screams bloody Ai No Kusabi that any fan of ANK would recognize it even a mile away. Should I elaborate more?
Elish Dekker = Iason Mink
Jade = Riki
Edgeview Orphanage = Guardian
Nyx ; Moros = Midas; Slum/Ceres
Erosians, Skylanders, chimeras = Elites, Middle class, Blondies
Luca = Daryl
Fiere, Tate,Pete,Kerres = Luke,Sid, Norris, Guy
Prince of Moros (so his mom calls him) = The "Charisma" of the Slums/Prince of Midas
Slumrat = Slumdog
that scene with Luca = yep..part of pet training in ANK
Jade stealing,getting caught and dry humping with Elish with gloves on = Riki getting caught stealing, Iason saving him from the police, then Iason making riki come with gloves on
Elish setting up Jade after the first encounter = Iason setting up Riki after the first encounter
Taking Jade back to Moros = Freeing Riki back to Ceres
Kerres trying to 'bring back' jade = Same as guy trying to free Riki from Iaon
The balcony jumping = balcony jumping in Taming Riki
The terrorist kidnapping = Yep, Taming Riki too
Explosion = explosion an Dana Bahn
not to mention Jade and Riki being the pet of the highest ranking in the society

and in Ai No Kusabi, they make chimeras. Ooops!

I also have theories about these characters:
Sanguine = Katze?
Loni = Kirie?
Silas = I think his appearance is from Raoul

Since, I've kind of established this ElishxJade = IasonxRiki thing. I won't hold back myself. Yes?
I could add more in my list above but I think those are enough for you not to tell me I'm delusional If you still think so, why don't you read the 8 volume series or watch the old OVA and the 2012 version of Ai No Kusabi?. The similarities are all over the book that it's not even funny. Don't get me wrong. I like Fallocaust a lot. I love Reaver and Killian. My dislike of Breaking Jade has a little to do with the whole series (since it's still part of it and I'll still encounter Elish and Jade in the future) and a lot to do with the fact that, as much as I love Iason and Riki, I couldn't fucking stand Jade and Elish!

Jade. OMFG JADE. #WTFJADE. He's annoying as hell! Me and Rin wanted to think of it as teenage angst. I wanted to think of it as just teenage angst.But no. He acts so cocky and so sure of himself. He thought of himself as the "King of his little thieving world". He says that people in the slum don't fuck with him, that he's strong and all...it's okay. I'll accept that. BUT then when shit hits the fan he breaks so easily. He fucking let himself be raped than fight Ares and Siris til the end(where the fuck is your bite?). When he escape Elish and comes wandering back to the slum, he begged, he fucking begged for cig and food. JFC! And you tell yourself you're fucking good at stealing and then you fucking begged people on the street! People who knows you!? Was I dreaming when you said this?

Elish had already seen him at his weakest, and the blond chimera was so above him he already saw him as a piece of shit, whereas in Moros – he had a reputation to uphold.

Reputation my ass! Just thinking about it makes my brain hurt.
He also became a pet so easily considering how much he tells himself that he hates it.

Lucky guy. Garrett seemed nice. If only it had been that fancy fuck sitting in that room with a book, it might’ve been an easier transition from gutter rat to chimera pet.

See? To me, it looks like he doesn't mind being a chemira's pet at all! Where did all the pride go? Where did this go?

“Even if you fucking manipulate my body, you’ll never have my mind, you’ll never have me.”

He falls in love with his captor quickly. He acts like a pathetic wimp more often than not.Though he has his awesome moment I like that stadium scene a lotthat I won't deny I enjoyed it. But then he turns back to his annoying self and I was pissed again. It got worst when he became a serial killer just to gain Elish's attention. I got so tired of his self-pitying ass and his self-destructive tantrums that I didn't even feel a lil bit sorry for him at all. My first impression of him got too clouded that even his Chimera abilities didn't impress me anymore. His feelings for Elish is a massive case of Stockholm syndrome borderline to Pavlov's dog! I just want to smack him in the face! Stop acting like a wimp and tone down the whining you shit! Show us what a top dog in the slum can do!

Elish. OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE ELISH! Iason be like: While I think a lot of Fallocaust fan likes Elish, sadly, I didn't really give much of a damn about him. He lacks in the power enforcing department. He's supposed to be second after Silas but he let's Quin run his mouth on him like that? lol. I'm disappointed in you Elish. Also, while I understand he's supposed to be "hot and cold"... I don't know but he just comes as someone who has personality issues to me. Like what are you really big man? Am I supposed to be intimidated or amused by your so called authority?
Elsih and Jade are similar to Iason and Riki but in some ways they are not. I'm pretty sure Iason wasn't as lame as Elish and Riki wasn't as pathetic as Jade.


Considering this book is so like ANK, to me it was so predictable I wasn't even surprised at the things that happened here (well,except for some information I was glad to know!). So... I obviously didn't enjoy this book. Most of the time I was either annoyed as hell or pissed off reading Breaking Jade. This book gave me headache. My brain was crying and I wanted to hang myself. It got to the point that I almost put it down. To hell with the information I'll get in the book. But I tried my best to finish it. My motivation was that i was doing it for Reaver. #4REAVER #4REAVER #4REAVER.


It went a little okay when I was reaching the end. At least I have learned more about Silas and his chimera family. After all the shits he's done from Fallocaust book 1 and in this book, I still felt sorry for him when he broke down and cried against Elish's shoulder. And finding out that Skyfall was something he created for his lover yet "Sky" chose to kill himself than be with Silas forever? wow. What happened??.


And I'm excited for new couples in the future!Garrett and Reno! ♥...also Quin and Jem! I like Garrett a lot and I think I like Quin too. I'm excited to read more about them and their love interests.
While I wasn't fond of Leo and Greyson in Fallocaust, I like them okay but seriously, Leo in this book disgusts me. Why the fuck are you jealous about Elish having an infatuation towards his pet when you have a fucking husband for almost 2 decades? Now I don't even feel bad that he died in book 1 at all.
What I love in this book is the mention of Killian in Jade's POV. It makes more sense now why Reaver was so drawn to him when book 1 started. I also love the mention of pre-Killian Reaver and that scene with Reaver dangling Jade on the deacon's pen! Also, pre-Killian Reaver is a sight to behold! More so when he was following Killian and it's shown in another person's POV and not Reaver's. I miss Reno too and I can't wait for him to have his new adventure namely Garrett and I'm so looking forward to it. There's really little that made me smile in this book. When I finished Breaking Jade, I tried to weigh my feelings and sad to say this book didn't really work for me. I couldn't even get myself to give it 2 stars. I'm angry and mad at this book. I feel cheated and I'm so disappointed. I just hope the next books wouldn't make me feel like this. I have high expectation over book 2 because I fucking love book 1 despite its imperfection. I'm also looking forward to Severing Sanguine even though he wasn't really a fave of mine...just oh please don't make me fucking sever my interest in this series.

Lastly, to quote what Rin said "I feel like this is the 'what if Kirie was Riki' version of ANK" that I find really hilarious because Jade's putting Kirie to shame in the ridiculous department.

ETA: Check out Rin's review of Breaking Jade here!

[AGandyGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaaaahhhh. My absolute favorite of the series. Even better on the reread. Elish+Jade Forever ❤️❤️❤️

***
Original review:

My review in emotions...















DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SKIP THE "COMPANION" NOVELS. SO MUCH INFORMATION IN THIS BOOK, THAT I AM SPEECHLESS. I CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE!!!

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really glad I pushed through with these dark books 😈

[Lars · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

This couple scares me… but I love them❤️🥲 the torture that it put me through is honestly chefs kiss💋

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this but I didn't love it like I did with book one.

Jade is such a great character and I really liked Luca and Sanguine too. There were a lot of new characters introduced and I felt at times that I needed a murder board and red string to figure out who everyone was!

Elish annoyed me too much though. I hated him at points, loved him at others and felt massively frustrated with him at all times 😂

I did really enjoy getting more backstory on the Fallocaust, King Silas and the chimeras though. It was interesting and filled in a few gaps of the puzzle that book one left me with.

Absolutely loved Reaver's appearances...😂😂

I think what I struggled with though was the way the tense and POV kept changing. It would be first person then suddenly switch to third; it was the present and then it was the past... There was no warning the switch was coming and it threw me out of the story a lot because I had to keep going back to figure out who was narrating.

I don't recall that writing style from book one? It may have happened, but Killian and Reaver had my full attention from page one and I was having to make myself stop reading so I could do life stuff, whereas Elish and Jade didn't really pull me in so much and it felt more like a slog to get through.

I'm excited to get back to Reaver and Killian in the next book, and hopefully Elish grows on me.

[Than 🪷 (Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️s - I have no idea how Jade managed to stay alive after everything he went through in this book.

Anyway, I absolutely loved this book because we finally get to see what Skyfall is all about. In Book 1, when we were stuck in Greywaste, people mentioned it a few times, but as a reader, Skyfall felt like this mythical, untouchable place. So, it was pretty cool to find out that it’s very real - and just as messed up as everywhere else. There’s still a strong hierarchy system, and of course, disgusting things are happening there too.

Oh, and we finally learn about the Chimeras, which was cool! And yes, I can officially confirm I hate them all 😂

[Rin ♔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

★ ★ ☆☆☆ - 1.5 stars

"Jade, my precinct and I could care less about your teenage angst over my brother."

I hate--no, I loathe this book so much I don't know where to start. If you read my review for Fallocaust, a book I really loved, you would ask me what happened. Well, you're not alone because I'd really like to know that myself. I don't get why people gave this really high ratings when all it did to me was annoy me from start to finish.

I rarely rant on books and this is just one of those rare occasions.

At first glance, this book had a lot of similarities to the Japanese Boys' Love classic, Ai No Kusabi by Rieko Yoshihara that was published back in the 198O's. It's not even funny.

Though their worlds are different since AnK isn't dystopian, their caste systems were similar. First Generation Chimeras lead Skyfall, like Blondies lead Tanagura. Elish is King Silas's right hand just like Iason is Jupiter's. Jade is called the Prince of Moros, like Riki is for Midas. And both Jade and Riki were from the slums. Oh, and did I mention that both of them were fifteen when they became pets for Elish and Iason?

Even Elish's appearance is so similar to Iason's save the eye color.

Long blond hair that shone like a deity’s under the flickering flames, drawn behind his head and falling over an alabaster face in bangs that fell past his ears. His face was also perfect, sculpted by talent that could only come from an immortal’s touch. Thin shaped eyebrows, a triangle face void of facial hair over a defined jaw, and pink thin lips that held no hint of a smile or even recognition.

If you want to read a review that made a comparison with Ai no Kusabi, read Ran's review.

Even with these similarities, I still read this book with an open mind because I know that this kind of plot isn't that unusual nowadays and I believed in the author to give me something good. I gave him a chance because I believed in him. But I was thoroughly disappointed in the end.

With unconventional and dysfunctional stories like this, it is vital that I can make a connection with the characters. I have to understand their personalities; what makes them do such things, how do their minds work? I have to understand where they are coming from. And this connection? I didn't feel it from the characters in the book.

Jade was a shitty character for me. He managed to irritate me throughout the 700 pages of this book. He grew up in the slums but with his actions and personality, you would think he was a spoiled brat that it was a wonder how he managed to survive that long. Add to that, how he was even called the Prince of Moros. I got that the fact that he was fifteen, he could be naïve and immature but he acted like he was a ten year old or something. And no, when you grow up in poverty, it roughens you up and you're forced to mature at an early age or you would die. Literally.

In the first part of the book, Pre-Submissive-to-Elish Jade was a walking and breathing contradiction that almost drove me nuts. One minute he was ranting about how much he hated Elish, then the next thing you know he was begging Elish not to leave him (screaming, "Read to me.") and he was resting his head on the crook of Elish's shoulder as if they were a couple.

Exhibit A:

But fuck… this was so different… my mind felt violated, not my body.
He had made me cum… he had reveled in enforcing his control on my body and my mind, he didn’t rape me, or make me suck him off. Every piece of clothing, save his gloves and the robe he had given me to wear, were still on him. Why did he take me to the forest to subdue me and make me cum? If he had asked for a blowjob for saving me from Ares and Siris… fuck, I would’ve gave it to him.

Then pages later Jade's like:

Jade pushed the disturbing thought from his mind, filling the empty spot with the bitter anger he felt towards the man with the long blond hair. Wherever his doubts had infiltrated, anger will replace those feelings, and he hated that chimera with every ounce of his being.

I labeled these moments as #wtfjade moments. There was also this:

“For someone with the pride to not put on his cicaro clothing, you sure do act like a whore,” Elish said with a smirk.

Yeah, Elish, preach it. This was the part where Jade made a fuss when he was ordered to wear his cicaro clothing but he was later on found straddling Elish's lap. Willingly.



Then there was also another moment where in the previous night Elish whipped the shit out of Jade then the next day their sitting beside each other, laughing like they were a long time couple. And it wasn't even half a year when Jade became Elish's cicaro.

As if it wasn't torture enough, the author decided to change his writing style and used first person POV in the second part of the book. God, you should have seen me. I think I developed wrinkles while being in Jade's head. IT HURT TO BE IN HIS HEAD. He was already docile to Elish, a full blown pet. And he also started considering Elish as his. Oh and did I mention too that there was a time when he said that it would be nice to be Garrett's cicaro? Jade, where was that Morosian pride that you kept on talking about?



When Elish left him and he self-destructed, I didn't feel pity for him. I got more annoyed instead. He was a disgrace to Moros. Where was his so called pride and reputation? Growing up in the slums, surely he was stronger than that. So what if Elish left him? Yeah, it sucked, he loved Elish already but how he reacted when he left him was so attention-seeking like he was a high school girl. Oh, considering he was, what, sixteen when Elish left him, let's just blame it on that.

Then in the third part of the story, Jade almost jumped from Elish's apartment when the latter came back to stop him from killing himself. Yeah, the same thing that happened to Riki in Taming Riki.

Through out the first and second parts of the book, Jade was pretty much acting like he was going through some teenage angst. I didn't like him at all. Okay perhaps I did like him at the part where he snapped in the Stadium. And at certain moments. But that was it.

We also had Elish here. I couldn't really say much aIl because I didn't feel connected with him at all too. His Jekyll and Hyde bullshit was not working for me. One minute he was so sweet to Jade then he snapped which was something that would confuse Jade and even me. I could totally feel for Jade at those times.

His reason for letting Jade go was really lame for me.

“If you cannot wait until we have time to talk, so be it. You are too young to be involved in what my family will subjected you to. I brought you back to Moros in hopes you could go back to how you were, lead a normal life before I collected you in several years time. I did it for you, you stupid mongrel; I only thought of what was best for you. I did it to save you the looming threat of that psychopathic, narcissistic, self-denigrating king I am forced to obey. Lycos was right, Reaver isn’t ready and in no way were you ready. He saw it, I saw it, Garrett saw it, Silas saw it… we all fucking saw it, you immature little cockroach!”



Yeah, it was sweet. It sounded like he already loved Jade so much which I thought so too but then I remembered that he still considered Jade his cicaro and even if Garrett, God bless him, teased him about it while Jade was still sprawled on top of Elish and sleeping like a baby, he still told him that it was not love. They were still master and pet. I could get it if he did at first, but at this point? It was pretty much useless. Well, you know what I know, Elish? If Silas was King Fuckface, then you were Prince Denial.



There were also sex scenes that made Ran and me cringe. I have to admit though that those scenes were hot, but then you remember their personalities and you just cringe.

Just…argh!

Lycos. Leo. Yup, we also have him. He irritated me so much here too. Getting jealous of Jade because Elish showered him with attention. Shouting at Elish and shit. Dude, you're fucking married already to Greyson for nineteen years. What the heck? Seriously, HOW MANY CHIMERAS HAVE IT HOT FOR ELISH???



Oh, oh! And the climax of this story was pretty much like in Ai no Kusabi. Ex boyfriend kidnapped pet from his master because he wanted to "free" the pet from his master. Then explosions everywhere! Gaaah, at least Kerres didn't cut off Jade's dick. But they plucked his teeth though.

At this point, you may ask me, "So, Rin, was there anything good in this book?"

Sure there was. Glimpses of Pre-Killian Reaver and Pre-Reaver Killian were so adorable. They were the only reason why Ran and I endured reading this book. #4reaver.

And my favorite part? Call me crazy but I loved it when Reaver was hanging Jade on top of the deacon's den. It was so funny and I even thought it was adorable.

Also, I'm looking forward to see the development in Garrett and Reno's relationship. And Quin and Jem. However, among everything else, I really want to know what happened to Silas and what made him become the person he is right now.

So that's it. A grave disappointment. Tsk, tsk. Still gonna read the next book in Fallocaust though because Reaver and Killian.

PS. I am amazed that even after 250 years, Pokemon endured. lol
PPS. Im adding some snippets of my convos with Ran. Here they are lol.

[Alexandra St Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 fking stars - Satan take the wheel. This series is insane.

[alittlelifeofmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

No review from me.

As usual, I don't necessarily recommend these books. They are definitely my thing, but I realize it's not going to be most people's type of book. Read up about it, do some research, and then make your decision.

[Kristie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love. Love love love.

There's too much to say. As with Fallocaust, there are issues with this book that could be made perfect with a fantastic editor. I did find myself questioning who's POV I was in, and at times, frustrated by other things like spelling and tense. Do I really give a flying fuck about that? In this moment? No. A resounding no. Why?

BECAUSE THIS STORY FUCKING ROCKS!

The conflicting emotions I have for each and every single character in this world knows no bounds. Maybe with the exception of Jade, whom I will always love despite how stupid he can be, I love everyone and hate them, too.
I found myself pitying all the Dekker brothers, loving them, hating them. Even our asshole King.

The story itself has wound around my brain and heart. There is so much depth to it. The more books that come out, and all the side stories, how they all intermingle, I know they'll give the reader more information. It will be amazing. Every time I learned about one character and got that little bit of their back story, I wanted more. I need to know how everyone ticks.

The wait for the next book, volumes one and two, will be painful, but oh so worth it. I can't wait to continue on this journey.

Thanks to Mare for reading this with me. Bring it home, babe. Finish this thing so we can talk!

[Vallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear god, I am addicted to the fallocaust universe. This was no mere companion book. It was 630 pages of a story so gripping, so emotionally charged, so brilliant, I am in awe of what this author has created. It is bloody and gruesome and I have no ability to construct a review about this. Loved loved loved Elish and Jade! And those final pages...*grins*, I was smiling ear to ear, which is a hard fear for a dark dystopian to pull off, considering the number of pages full of twisted, vile, disgusting murder and mayhem I had just read. But it's so much more than that. Beneath the layers of manipulation and intrigue in the devious way the reader experiences character development and plot twists lies a hidden gem. A tenderness that does not belong in the post fallocaust world, more so in the nature of an unemotional chimera and a brat from Moros. Not to mention, this book reminded me why all the easily thrown iloveyous of contemporary romance don't pack the same punch as they used to. Here, actions speak so much louder than words.

I can't recommend this enough. Readers beware of torture and rape throughout this book and of course, in book 1 of the series, the Fallocaust. I have preordered book 2 of the series and I can't wait to see Reaver and Killi-kat thrust into the chimera world of Skyfall.

[Elsbeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never wanted to read this companion novel. I didn't like Jade of Elish that much in de first Fallocaust novel. Wanted to read further about Reaver & Killian because of that cliffhanger but I'm so glad I did read it. This book gave me such more insite in other characters and....

No words.



All the companion novels will be read by me now. Can't wait.

*on to The Ghost and the Darkness

[Kazza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wrote a review for the blog, my head has exploded.



60+ status updates here, or a proper - sort of - review at:

[Alastair · Rating 5 out of 5]

M/m, HFN, not a standalone
Tw: same as the first book

Wow tbh when I started reading this book I was like "ugh I don't care about jade or Elish, I wanna get back to reaver and Killian but now ugh I love jade and the complicated relationship he has with Elish.

[Mare SLiTsReaD Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

GAH

this book.

GAH

so frustrating.

GAH

Elish and Jade. Fuck me! For 89% I wanted to beat the both of them. JHC. Can Jade be more stupid and can Elish be anymore emotionally stunted???????????? Drive me fucking crazy.

And yet.

For the last 11% I didn't want it to end. Because FML the ride is over....

For now.

But I have 0 patience so waiting for book 2 is like slowly being cut alive. 1 nick at a time.

I do this to myself a lot. Fucking cliffies.

FML.

Thank you Kristie, you are awesome girl to BR with. Your emotions and your feelings is like a fresh of breath air.

Quil- Thanks for being such a champ with Kristie and I. And totally getting down with our enthusiasm.

Review to come after I come out of seeing red and waiting for this book hangover to end.

Advil doesnt seem to work for book hangovers....

Mare~Slitsread

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just...wow! The last few chapters had me going through every emotion I have. I may have cried!
The only reason this is five stars is because I can't give it more.
I never thought it was possible, but, I loved this MORE than Fallocaust.
The relationship between Jade and Elish is seriously abusive and fucked up. I loved it and them. Especially Elish.
Then there's Sanguine; can't wait to find out more about him.
Read this, everyone. I will wait (not so) patiently for the next books.

[K.S. Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILERS throughout the entire review, so be ware.

When I was reading Fallocaust, I felt confident that I wouldn’t be purchasing Breaking Jade because I’m usually never interested in secondary characters. I loved Reaver and Killian, and I wanted to see their journey, not someone else’s. However, when I reached the middle of Fallocaust, I changed my mind, because even secondary characters here are mesmerizing. Elish and Jade are now almost as important to me as Reaver and Killian – I totally fell in love with them, they are perfect for each other, I feel so greedy, want more of them!

The beginning of the book was unpleasant to me – I hate rape, especially graphic and violent, so I felt horrible for Jade who was caught in the web of two cruel, evil chimeras. When he escaped and closed himself in a room with another chimera, I wanted to die, honestly – why did this boy have to be so unlucky? But the chimera’s behavior intrigued me right away, least of all I expected him to start reading to Jade out load. It was a fascinating moment, I loved it. All other ‘reading’ moments as well, it’s like a private, personal sign that Elish and Jade share.

I thought ELISH would be totally emotionally stunned, but he displayed a various range of emotions, from love and protectiveness to fury and evilness. Yes, he is cruel and cold, but Jade changed him, he started to change him slowly, but efficiently. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for Elish to live in Skyfall under control of someone like Silas, when he is a true born, impressive leader himself. I think he and Reaver would be a perfect choice for Kings, people will follow them, people will believe them, and they are both very smart – they’d know how to rule, Elish especially. Reaver would probably need some help. Reaver is violent and explosive, a burning lava full of hatred, fury and scorching-hot emotions, while Elish is freezing-cold, glacial, indifferent in most situations. They are different, but there are things that unite them: their brilliant brains, amazing strength, astonishing skills… and never-ending, powerful, earth-shattering Love they feel for their partners, Killian and Jade. (Love all the names, by the way – which is rare for me.) Elish amazed me over and over again with his strategy thinking, and the way he mostly held himself when Jade was being tortured in front of him. Reaver would jump right into the lion’s den trying to protect Killian, even if the situation was hopeless, but Elish managed to endure this horrific torture, knowing that in the end it will pay off. I love both of them like crazy, though Reaver is closer to me, I think.

I thought before reading that Elish would be a sadistic, sick chimera, but he proved me wrong – he was very patient, actually, and he punished Jade only when Jade managed to really piss him off. All tortures he inflicted on him had their purpose, it was never because Elish just felt like that.

JADE is an extraordinary character, I don’t remember reading about anyone like him. He and Reaver became a revelation to me, and a very pleasant one. At first I thought Jade was just a tough ‘street-kid’, sometimes bratty, sometimes adorable, but then I found layers of his personality that left me speechless. I don’t even know how to describe him, honestly, but I love him. Reaver and Killian are completely, absolutely different, like black and white, while Jade and Elish have many things in common. Still, there are enough differences between them to make them look great together, to make them compliment each other. They were destined to be together, I have no doubts about that. I was hurting for Jade, but I think all painful, traumatic experiences he went through made him stronger. Killian wouldn’t survive it, in my opinion.

I found myself really excited about the aura thing. Jade can see matches, together with Elish they became an unstoppable force because of it. And now I’m *very* interested in the couples they managed to bring (almost) together. I can’t wait to read about Reno and Garret (still didn’t touch the second book, wanted to read both volumes at once), and Joaquin and Jem – they really captured my interest! I loved their first meeting, Jem seems even more fragile than Killian, I wonder how he survived and how crazy he will be driving Joaquin. Now I have a problem, though, because I just can’t stand the idea of any of them dying for good. Especially, of course, I’m worried about Reaver/Killian, Elish/Jade, but I care about Reno and Garret and Joaquin and Jem too, so much. There are people who are worthy of the future, who could create a strong, more or less sane world.

I absolutely loved Reaver/Killian moments shown through Jade’s eyes. I can never get enough of them. It was fascinating to watch Jade watch Reaver who was watching Killian, and how Reaver’s aura flickered, lightened every time he looked at his boy – so much devotion and the beginning of love there. Outstanding.

The ending of the book is incredible. Wow – just wow. When Elish manipulated Silas, saved Jade and died, I relaxed completely and started to read lazily, I didn’t expect anything else to happen. But the trial thing… oh my God, this must be the most powerful moment in the entire book! I couldn’t even blink, it absorbed me, horrified and fascinated me. Silas is crazy, but he’s still smart and manipulative – my heart was breaking for E lish, and for Jade, of course. The confession was so desperate, so beautiful, it nearly made me cry. Amazing, unforgettable scene, it alone deserves million dollars.

There was only one thing in the book that I truly, absolutely hated and didn’t understand at all. The rape scene by Elish and Luca. What the hell was it for? Yes, Jade was behaving in a dangerous way, but he didn’t do anything really awful for this kind of treatment. I’d never forgive those two for this, it was horrible and humiliating and unnecessary. Luca didn’t even try to argue, just followed orders right away! Some friend. And where is Elish’s possessiveness? Besides, afterwards Jade behaved like he deserved it and like it was he who needed to apologize. I’m going to pretend that scene never happened – I don’t enjoy cruelty for the sake of cruelty, and it felt that way to me.

Other than that, the book was a fantastic, incredibly emotional journey for me – it’s one of the best things I’ve ever read. Well done.

[S.R. Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

So at first, I was hesitant in reading this because I am not really a Companion book type of girl, however, I knew Elish and jade were going to be important characters as the story moved forward and I wanted to know their back story.

My heart ached for Reaver and Killian, but my heart broke for Jade. He went through so much and it was easy to dismiss him as a little prick but all I could see was a 15 year old boy trying to keep himself alive in a fucked up world.

It was nice to see the way the story was interconnected with Fallocaust, the time line of jade and Elish's story begins before Reaver met Killian and it was nice to see how that whole thing was orchestrated.

It was nice to see the crack in Silas' emotions near the end, I am now finding myself intrigued to find out what his back story is that had him destroying the entire world.

[skye · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars

Honestly didn't care for this book. I only read it to get a deeper look into this world the author has created.

Jade and Elish have nothing on Reaver and Killian 🥴
And let me take it a step further by saying Elish gave me the fucking ick. He's a 90yr old immortal and jade is like 16 but the way he views Jade is bordering on gross. I usually ignore huge age gaps when it comes to immortals cuz that's not real life so idc, but he refers to Jade like he's a child and that's the reason why he's so obsessed with him. Ew

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed. It started really good. The style felt so much more polished than the Fallocaust, and Jade was instantly very likable. And then that all changed within matter of chapters. There are random changes in the narrative throughout the book--it goes from third person narrative Jade POV to first person narrative, then suddenly there's also the omnipresent narrator, then there's several POVs in one chapter, then again the first person, and it feels very tiring and annoying to read something so unprofessional.

Jade went from super favourite character to irritating whiny pest right after the first few chapters. My instant love for his character still managed to make me give him a lot of credit, until about half of the book, but honestly, then he just became irredeemable, no matter how much I liked him at first. And he got broken way too fast, pretty much immediately. But he still kept bragging about Morosian pride and what not, which he sort of had zero of. Ellish is horribly bland. He has no character whatsoever, there is only one cool thing he does in the entire book, but other than that he is just this dull presence. I couldn't buy Jade's feelings for him, not in the least bit.

I was really looking forward to reading more about the chimeras, but it turns out they're just drama queens who spend all their time being petty, teasing each other over who has a new boyfriend, making others jealous, matchmaking and so on. I hoped for some political intrigue between them, but it really all comes down to them being like a bunch of high school kids. Except for the female chimera, who seems to be the only one with actual brain, and the only one doing actual useful work, like running the police force, while her brothers really just squabble over their boyfriends and such idiotic stuff.

The author has a thing for hurt/comfort, and that's nice and one of my most favourite things, and it was obvious even from the Fallocaust, but here it becomes very tiring--Jade is all the time almost dying. And sure, the first couple of times it was dramatic and perhaps also touching, but after a while it becomes too much and you just wish for him to really just fucking die already.

Also, so much drama! In the Fallocaust it wasn't so exaggerated, because Fallocaust was somehow packed with action and there were many things going on, but here it's really just drama. Like a really bad telenovela, only gay.

I liked seeing glimpses of the characters from the first book, like Killian and Reaver, and Leo. But I have to say that Leo in this book is an idiot. And I hate saying that as I really liked him a lot in the first book, but here he is just ridiculous. I sort of pretend I never read anything about him in Breaking Jade as it tainted my image of him completely.

I have to say that I will still read the third book in the series, because I am very curious about what happens after the Falloucast's ending and I am pretty attached to the characters from the first book. I just hope it is more like Fallocaust and less like Breaking Jade.

If I have to pick one good thing about the book, it would be that it is very readable. That is the true talent the author has. He writes these huge 800 pages books that are in fact very easy to read so you devour them in just a few days. That's great. Now the fact that you might find yourself cringing throughout, that is another matter, but still, I find it very commendable that he writes the way he does. Seriously, super readable.

[QuietlyKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breaking Jade is just as dark and twisted and brutal as Fallocaust in the most horrific, mind blowing and glorious ways. While a part of my brain is rebelling and conflicted, another part of my brain is rejoicing and embracing the tortured, dark inhumanity of this world and the characters in it.

Most of the time when I love a book that has problematic elements, I either don’t review and/or don’t rate. I feel like a hypocrite for highly rating one book with problematic themes while trashing another book with similarly problematic themes. But here’s the thing, regardless of the things that my mind rebelled against and screamed “No, this is so fucked up and wrong!”, I was completely consumed by this book, I was completely consumed by this world and the characters in it. And maybe I’m just rationalizing it to myself but this is not our world, these monsters are not wholly human and our humanity is not their humanity. More than that though, is that the author never tries to paint these characters as heroes. We are challenged to see the goodness and humanity within the fucked up, depraved monsters they are. And what complex, creepy, twisted and yes, sympathetic creatures they are!

I love how Quil Carter is able to persuade me to love, I mean really love and root for characters that I would ordinarily loathe. I love the way Carter is able to plumb the depths of darkness and inhumanity and elicit empathy and compassion even while my mind is fighting against those feelings. Nothing is black or white. This world may be covered in ash and shades of gray, but Carter paints each character with such a broad spectrum of colors, such a wide range of good and evil.

So while my stomach churned with extreme distaste and anger at many of the relationship dynamics between Jade and Elish, I still have to give this book 5 gloriously gory yet morally conflicted stars. I cannot wait to see what happens next!

[Silke · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I finished this piece of art yesterday :) to quote myself on Twitter

"what a crazy fucked up rollercoaster of emotions"

First if you are a sensible creature with triggers like Rape and Violence you really really should NOT read this Book.

That comes with the World, in this world Cannibalism is normal, raping people is something that happens to most people in the slums and since slavery in form of Pets/Cicaros is also a normal thing ....yeah like I said nothing for to sensible Persons.

I totally loved the Book , the Character Development was amazing. Jade turning from a little Rebell from the Slums into a Cicaro and even a psycho Murderer (and a Chimera) was awesome and believeble.

There was so much more about Silas (why is he the way he is....), Reaver (it was not good luck that Killians Family needed to move to Aras.....)so much more about the Chimeras and the whole crazy "Family".

The Relationship between Jade and Elish was "hardcore".......there is a lot of violence but still that comes with the whole theme. Lets say Jade is not innocent so is Elish both Character together could rule the whole world (if Silas would let them lol.....)it was really an emotional rollercoaster, both are full of pride and specially Elish wants no one to know that his soft spot is in Fact Jade .......which he finally admits in the end ......

The end was.....yeah totally crazy XD I never thought about that and I really loved it. I can't wait to read more about this two psycho Lovers/Husbands.....

I can't wait for the next Book!

[Fiestabutterfly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. I couldn't. I was that disgusted. I like this author for the conspiracy stories that he has written - those are good - but I find it odd, now, that he didn't ponder over the consequences of publishing a book that's an obvious rip-off.

Halfway through Breaking Jade I stopped reading because it reminded me of another story I read years ago. This story: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9.... So I re-read Ai No Kusabi and found that they had the exact same plot. That's why I stopped reading this book, and I don't plan on finishing it either.

Quil Carter, why?

[Ange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn’t think it was possible… but I think I experienced more whiplash reading this story with Elish than my mother’s amateurish(?) driving. Bravo 👏🏼

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars