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Venom and Vengeance trilogy #2

Vicious and Volatile

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Savage devotion. Ruthless betrayal.

Augustus sold me to a monster. Now I’m his to feed on, a prisoner in a nightmare I can’t escape.

But Ares is coming for me. I know it in my soul. Ruthless and unstoppable, his devotion is as savage as the man himself. He will burn the world to the ground to bring me back.

Simply surviving this isn’t enough—there are secrets to unravel, lives to save, and ghosts of the past that refuse to let go. As the line between justice and revenge blurs, so does my place in this world.

Loving a vampire means stepping deeper into the shadows, but some ties can’t survive the dark.

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2025

47 people are currently reading
85 people want to read

About the author

Keary Taylor

82 books2,112 followers
Keary Taylor is the USA TODAY bestselling author of over twenty novels. She grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now splits her time between a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest and Utah, with her husband and their two children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night.

Please Note: Keary does not check Goodreads very often, so the best way to get in contact is directly through email: me@kearytaylor.com.

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5 stars
88 (56%)
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48 (30%)
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18 (11%)
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2 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
Profile Image for Heather.
344 reviews24 followers
June 27, 2025
I’m officially obsessed after that ending. Need book 3 NOW.
Profile Image for Courtney.
1,998 reviews210 followers
April 8, 2025
4.5 Stars

Vicious and Volatile is the second book in this trilogy and this all must be in read in order and starts immediately after where the first book ends.

There is alot of plot movement in this book, but that happens more in the last 50% of the book. The first 50% focuses more on Lana and Ares and the development of their relationship, which is crucial to the overall plot.

Keary does a great job of showing how the romance aspect of this book plays a huge roll in the plot of this of trilogy and why that development allows for the Lana and Ares to grow, not just together, but as individuals.

The second half delivers alot of unexpected twists and then we are left once again, dangling on a cliffhanger.

I cannot wait to see what book 3 brings us and how Keary brings this altogether.
Profile Image for Nita.
741 reviews11 followers
April 8, 2025
The Ending

I was not prepared for all the twists and turns this book took. I feel so bad for Lana she ends up losing her best friend but in a completely different way than she expected. Something is horriblely wrong with Ares. On top of all that the way that Florence had to save Lana's life at the end of the book was nothing short of mind blowing.
Profile Image for Katie.
57 reviews10 followers
April 8, 2025
I ended up reading this one from start to finish even though I started another one first! Loved it!
Profile Image for Lesly Sarabia.
579 reviews30 followers
dnf
July 18, 2025
I could stand the first one, but this sequel was kind of tasteless, so I got bored.
Profile Image for Dakota Gustafson.
21 reviews
April 29, 2025
Oh. Em. Gee. When I say the ending I did NOT see coming?!? Y'all! I had my eye looking for Ophelia thinking she was up to no good gonna be something vicious and volatile after how her story got going. But bet my last dollar I was not seeing what was going to happen with Ares & Lana fucking Kincade. Book 3 Where you at cuz? I can't with this cliffhangerrrrrr! My goodness 🤯
Profile Image for Lauren.
352 reviews3 followers
dnf
April 14, 2025
I received this book as an ARC read and I felt like it was better if I waited for the book to be out a little while before I left my honest review. All of what will follow is subjective and in no way swaying you not to read this novel. This is just my personal preference.

I DNF'd this 61% through, as much as it pained me to do so. I tried on multiple occasions to convince myself to continue on so I could have this review up prior or on the date of release.

I want to preface that I absolutely adored the first book. I loved it so much. I was really, really looking forward to this book and marked my calendar. I, however, could not get past the FMC. There is trauma done onto her in her past and also in this book. She even explained how this has effected her immensely. It has been spoken about multiple, multiple times (almost redundantly) that she cannot work through this trauma. The beauty of Keary Taylor's words are so deep and compelling. You felt everything she felt. As someone who has experienced extreme trauma, I repressed my traumas for over 25 years almost as she did and came out with a laundry list of mental health concerns that can never be reversed. The act of these traumas and voicing them is not a trigger for me. What is a trigger is her purposely pushing her trauma back and everyone else acting like that is fine (specifically her fiancé who is supposed to be in tune with her emotions). That is not okay, and maybe further in the book or the series it is amended, but this is not a trait of a "strong" individual that she is perceived to be. I really hope this is not what the series will celebrate.

This is, again, just my personal preference and totally subjective.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rachel.
2,372 reviews134 followers
April 9, 2025
Lana and Ares are back! Vicious and Volatile was one of my most highly anticipated books, and boy, was it wild. Lana didn't let a little thing like kidnapping stop her. The deeper she gets into Ares's world, the more she knows she's meant to be in it. I admire Lana's bravery. She is a human in the world of supernaturals, stepping up to find her place in it. And Ares is right by her side, making my heart flutter. He's a genuine good guy, and he proves it over and over. I like where things are headed with him and Lana.


OMG! This book was excellent! So much action. Lana and Ares go on a bit of a hunt, and some people get what they are owed. It was very satisfying. There were more of the barons, which I find insightful. However, it was the royals that really piqued my interest. This series is my first in the Blood Descendants Universe, so I find all the stuff they reveal utterly fascinating. A little mystery popped up that gave me a horrible feeling, and I'm almost certain a new character is involved. By the end, I was in shock. It's where the two biggest plot twists happened. My jaw was on the floor. Like. What!? How did Keary just end it like that?! I have so many questions. I'm already counting down the days until the next book.
Profile Image for Evelyn Dotson.
2,071 reviews16 followers
March 29, 2025
In book two, Ares is looking for Lana. Augustus has sold her like the others; he wants his son for himself. Augustus’ world will implode once Ares finds him. When Ares and Lana do come together again, they look for Ophelia. The list is discovered, Royals are met, new friendships align, and so much more!

Ophelia and Lana will never be the same again; together and apart. What is really going on with O? The Barons are aligned with the new order of things, only one seems not quite right. Lana will make two huge discoveries within the vampire world and science…but are they what they seem and what will the implications mean?

Ares is off! He is literally changing in front of everyone. What is going on? Lost time, memories, and weird occurrences. Lana is highly suspicious and is looking for answers. Many murders are happening to other vampires…Lana will become a new target. Where is Ares? Only, Lana will undergo a change…what will happen when it is done? A cliffhanger…So much compacted into one book…but we need to know what happens next quickly!

Profile Image for Jessie.
47 reviews3 followers
April 9, 2025
This is the second book and it starts where vengeance & venom ended, Ares and Lana are still in the mission to rescue Lana’s best friend Ophelia, and after finding her nothing is the same.
The first half is a little slower as they are focusing on what’s next after dealing with Augustus, and finding Ophelia.
Then we have Ares who started acting strange out of nowhere, Lana trying to figure out what is going on, we do get to see more of the barons and a few friendships starting to bloom.
Lana while making a few visits finds out some stuff which makes her think about her future and what she wants.
Then that ending….. it does end on a cliffhanger and while I was waiting for that change I was not expecting it to be that way, and now I have questions like was Lana betrayed? What will happen with Ares? Will they figure out how to stop it? How is Lana going to react? What will happen with Ophelia? Will we see her again? What happens next? I cannot wait for book 3 to come out and get these answered.
Profile Image for Kelsi.
549 reviews27 followers
April 9, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️

The romance is deeper and even more passionate, the plot twists will leave you on the edge of your seats, questions will be answered while new discoveries will leave you guessing and the and the cliffhanger will leave you gasping! Vicious and Volatile picks up right where Vengeance and Venom left off giving us a little bit of closure from the crazy cliffhanger book one left us on while simultaneously setting us up with a whole new slew of questions and needing to know what’s going to happen next! As I don’t want to spoil any part of this series for yall I will say that if you’re looking for a vampire/human romance where our MCs are equally obsessed with each other, full of more than one enviable romantic moment, plenty of spice, a plot that will make you feel like your on a rollercoaster of twists and turns, and a cliffhanger that’ll have you immediately reaching for book three than be sure to grab a copy of Vicious and Volatile today!

Happy Reading 📖
Profile Image for Danielle Boise.
455 reviews2 followers
December 29, 2025
*3.75 Stars*

Augustus uses his Red parties to sell humans as toys and food banks to other wealthy vampire buyers. After not getting his way, he's taken his heir, Ares' fiancé - Lana, and sold her off to Lawrence Crawford. A politician in need of a warm blood bag. Ares is PISSED. That is the simplest way to state it and out to not only get Lana back but destroy his father.

This book is darker than the first one. There is an epic ton of blood, some torture, and a bit of gore to go along with the unsavory themes of kidnapping, trafficking, and trauma.

Overall, I enjoyed the story development, just not as much as the first book. There was a levity in book one that was missing in this one. But based on the trajectory of the story, it made complete sense.

Favorite Quote: "There is always darkness in the eyes of the god of war. But darkness does not always equal bad. Sometimes darkness is honesty. Sometimes darkness is truth. Sometimes darkness is devotion."
Profile Image for Jennifer Bollnow.
282 reviews11 followers
April 8, 2025
Vicious and Volatile is book 2 in the Vengeance and Venom Trilogy by Keary Taylor. It also has other interconnected book series in the Blood Descendants Universe. It picks up right after the cliffhanger from last time. Lana, aka Vengeance, is desperately searching for her best friend, Ophelia, who has been missing for 8 weeks. She met and fell for Ares, a vampire who enlisted her help, and they ended up faking a relationship til the feelings were real. Lana has so much to learn about the vampire world. It is an exciting read from the beginning. The lore is interesting. The turns and twists continue to keep coming at Lana and Ares. This also ends in a crazy cliffhanger, and because of the kidnapping storyline, it may contain triggers for some. I enjoy the mystery in this book and the new allies Lana gains.
Profile Image for Amber Hamilton.
5 reviews1 follower
April 2, 2025
I am so glad neither Venom nor Vengeance allowed interference in their relationship. They both stuck to each other, and both had trust in each other and their relationship.

I hated Ophelia in this book. She could've tried to understand her friend. Instead, she came on very aggressive. My way or no friendship at all. Her experience was traumatizing, but that doesn't negate what V&V did to release her. She could've at least been willing to listen or try to understand their feelings.

My favorite part of this book was releasing the victims prior to finding Ophelia and then giving the information to the Royals to help release the remaining victims of the "Red party" kidnappings.

Book 2 ends on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait for the 3rd book to find out what happens with Venom. 😁
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Britt Rygiel.
41 reviews2 followers
April 9, 2025
Arc Review

Book two picks up immediately where the first one ended. Lana was taken by Augustus, and sold to another vampire. She never gave up when it came to Ares saving her! Once she was rescued the quickly got back to work looking for Ophelia and taking care of Augustus once and for all.

Unfortunately finding Ophelia and having her return to a “normal” life didn’t go as planned. Lana takes this as time to distract herself and go to see Florence’s lab and meet up with Elle. She learns a lot from both women and why they are doing what they are.

Then Ares starts acting different. Many things are going on. He’s blacking out, he has different clothes from when Lana last saw him, and vampires are turning up dead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Naurarwen.
1,038 reviews8 followers
April 18, 2025
This is one book I've been excited to read. I absolutely love watching the growth of Ares and Lana's relationship, but I am sad over the things that Lana loses in the story. I won't say what exactly, as I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Yes, the first half of the book is a little slower, but I think I actually enjoyed that as it grows the anticipation of what is going to happen, and how things will pan out for the characters. You got plot twists throughout the steam is so good without being too overpowering.

I'm not sure why, but I went into this story thinking it was only going to be a duet, because what else could happen once Ares was in charge? Well, never assume anything cause that cliffhanger ending really did me in a now I can't wait for the third book!
Profile Image for Rebecca Rakes.
213 reviews1 follower
May 7, 2025
I truly enjoy The Blood Descendants Universe books, and I like that Keary Taylor is advancing with her audience. This series is more adult and has a rougher feel to it, which is nice for a change.
The book began right where the last one ended. There was a bit in the middle where I was wondering where it was going. Sometimes, the story seems to take a backseat to the romance side of the book, but it gets back on track, and the ending is great. I can't wait for the next installment. That ending!
Also, Keary is obviously very excited about cursing in this book. Sometimes it flows and feels right, other times, it feels a bit forced and too much. It takes away from the moments when it would naturally be used for more impact.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
6,646 reviews237 followers
April 8, 2025
After the cliffhanger ending in book one, I needed to know what happens next. This book pretty much picks up from book one. Talk about horrible fathers. Ares's father is evil. Yet, Ares's love for Lana is stronger.

The bond between Lana and Ares has grown even stronger. There are just a few steamy moments featured in this book. This time it is more about the progression of the story and Ares and Lana's relationship and how it looks for their future.

"I want you, forever, Vengeance."

Oh, Keary, you go and do it again and leave me with another cliffhanger ending. Luckily as you said I don't have to wait too long for the conclusion.
Profile Image for shadow-raven.
89 reviews5 followers
April 11, 2025
What a ride
I went into this one expecting answers but I now have more unanswered questions. The story continues and some of the cliffhangers get answered from book one. However this one left off on an epic cliffhanger which you could kind of see from book one, but still epic ending. It has equal points of view of the main characters. I want to know what the evil Cliff is up to ? Were he and Augustus into the New York control ? What else is going on behind the scenes ? This series has also tied in with her other series with the royals and the king, Elle Lexington Hmmm what rabbit hole will the next book bring ?? I need answers stat !!
Profile Image for Nadia Hinojosa.
420 reviews1 follower
April 13, 2025
This is the second book in the Vengeance and Venom trilogy. This is also my second time reading a book by Keary Taylor and I am loving it so much! This book is even better than the first one!
I love the way the story just leaps into the cliffie from the first book. Ths twists in this book were a total surprise…OMG!! They were so unexpected but thrilling all the same. We see the relationship changing and how it impacts the people around them, And now we have to wait for the last book to be released to see how the story ends…
Thank you, Keary Taylor, for another amazing book! I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us in the final book!
Profile Image for Katlyn Myers.
128 reviews4 followers
April 16, 2025
I shouldn’t start with the end… but WHAT WAS THAT!?!? Book 1 also ended with a cliffhanger, but this one was even more cruel because I’m not mentally prepared to wait for the third book in this trilogy.

I love Ares and Lana’s story. They fell fast and hard. A vampire and a human. But Lana is no ordinary human. Sides fierce and passionate and everything Ares didn’t know he needed in his life. And we love Ares Hunt. Together, they make a lot of progress in this part of their story. I have my own theories about what we’ll find out in book 3, and while I’m probably wrong, I’m really excited to see why certain things happened in this one.
Profile Image for Jessica Compton.
175 reviews
April 24, 2025
An unexpected treasure

Found this author on TT and grabbed the first book in this series. I got book mail, my favorite type of mail to get, a signed book and within the first page fell into this story. If you vehemently oppose cliffhanger endings, wait until July when the final book in this series is released. BUT if you want a vampire/hint of mafia type organizations, fake engagement, found family story with just the right amount of spice this series is for you!
I have ordered a few of her other books and cannot wait to dive into all of them. There is an entire universe that Taylor has written about, Blood Descendants Universe.
Profile Image for Penny.
3,160 reviews88 followers
March 31, 2025
One thing I’ll definitely say about this author is that readers never know where we’ll end up at the end of the book. In this one, poor Lana has been sold, and we know that Ares is on the hunt for her. Events definitely escalate from there, with non-stop action, meetings with old friends, an unexpected betrayal from a loved one, and an unusual personality change. I can’t say too much because I really don’t want to spoil this because so much happens, but this is definitely a wild ride from beginning to end. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
348 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2025
This is book.2 of Ares and Lana’s story. While dealing with Augustus, Ophelia, and the Barons, Ares and Lana are also falling in love. Ares is the perfect man…until he isn’t. What is happening and is he going to be able to come back from it? And holy shite … the ending with Lana!?!? Will Lana come back and be ok with everything? Will she be able to forgive what happened? Will Ares accept everything and the reasons behind it? Can they forgive, forget, and move forward? Book 3 is gonna be so good!!
Profile Image for Colleen Hurley Jozwiak.
606 reviews1 follower
April 3, 2025
I want to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I am loving the continuation of Lana & Aries story. It picks up right where book 1 ended. There’s a lot of blood, violence, revenge, heart break and love in this story. You learn a lot about the lengths Aries will go for Lana. But it leaves you on another cliffhanger!

I can’t wait for book 3! I can’t wait to see what happens with Aries, if more will develop from Ophelia and how together Aries & Lana will figure out and fix the destruction that occurred!
Profile Image for Heather Walker.
45 reviews10 followers
April 4, 2025
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I don't know why I am so late to the Keary Taylor party, and I'm glad I'm here now, but this woman can write!!

So, where to begin on this one?? The twists and turns are epic, the events that unfold are just crazy, and the ending... ugh the ending.. I love a good cliffhanger but grrrrr.. I am so into these books that I want to keep going..

PS... Ares is my book boyfriend, and no one can tell me no...sorry Lana..

PSS... I wanna throat punch O for you Lana.. I'm so sorry!!
Profile Image for Jennifer Arriaga.
89 reviews1 follower
April 7, 2025
✨️🩸 ARC REVIEW 🩸✨️

This book picks up immediately where book one left off with Lana being captured by Agustus and being sold as a human blood bag. When Ares rescues her they continue their search for Ophelia, rescuing others who were sold along the way. Lana learns two huge secrets by important woman within the vampire world that could change the fate of everything. Ares starts losing chunks of memories from throughout his days and Lana is determined to save him, but  there will be a significant cost. I love Ares and Lana SO freaking much !!!
Profile Image for Claire Semonin.
91 reviews3 followers
April 8, 2025
I am good at anticipating how story's go - however the 2nd in this Trilogy completely shocked me. It started straight from where the 1st book ended. I loved how loose ends were tied up and how Keary surprised me with the ending - I don't want to say anything else but wow - she has completely opened up this vamperic world with so many new and exciting stories that can be told. I cannot wait for the 3rd instalment- its a matter of need not want and I am excited to see what else happens in this world.
68 reviews4 followers
April 9, 2025
Im officially addicted to this series!

"Darkness does not always equal bad. Sometimes darkness is honesty. Sometimes darkness is the raw truth. Sometimes darkness is devotion"

I love that things get stronger between Lana and Ares and that they saved her best friend, I dislike the best friend now, O is over the top crazy.
I also like the fact that they showed how trauma effects different people in different ways and O just could not handle it.
After that the story went at full speed, leading you to the cliff hanger and a LOT of questions, I am ready for the third book now!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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