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Fire & Brimstone #5
Redemption
Riley is missing, and it’s up to his angels to find him.
With help from their allies, Gideon, Jai, and Noel fight to locate the missing piece to their family—and their hearts—before they lose him forever. Realms will topple, and worlds will burn. Because they will not stop until they get him back.
But for Riley, time is running out. Trapped in the cursed realm, Riley Shepard finds himself at the mercy of the Seven. With no friends and no hope, he struggles to survive the horrors of hell as he battles the inevitable pull to the darkness residing inside himself. But one way or another, he must face his demons or die trying. If only death was so easy.
Redemption is the fifth book in the M/M+ harem/poly romance series Fire & Brimstone, featuring vengeful guardian angels, dark affairs, torture, betrayal, and an unlikely hero who must sacrifice everything to survive.
Trigger warnings include: violence, intense gore (specifically Chapter 12), torture, non-graphic sexual assault, and death.
©2020 Nikole Knight (P)2022 Nikole Knight
With help from their allies, Gideon, Jai, and Noel fight to locate the missing piece to their family—and their hearts—before they lose him forever. Realms will topple, and worlds will burn. Because they will not stop until they get him back.
But for Riley, time is running out. Trapped in the cursed realm, Riley Shepard finds himself at the mercy of the Seven. With no friends and no hope, he struggles to survive the horrors of hell as he battles the inevitable pull to the darkness residing inside himself. But one way or another, he must face his demons or die trying. If only death was so easy.
Redemption is the fifth book in the M/M+ harem/poly romance series Fire & Brimstone, featuring vengeful guardian angels, dark affairs, torture, betrayal, and an unlikely hero who must sacrifice everything to survive.
Trigger warnings include: violence, intense gore (specifically Chapter 12), torture, non-graphic sexual assault, and death.
©2020 Nikole Knight (P)2022 Nikole Knight
10 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 2, 2020
86 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
About the author
Nik Knight
29 books602 followersNik Knight (they/them) is a born and bred Hoosier living in a top-secret location in Europe. They are a single parent to two wonderful gremlins, and they write love in all its forms.
When they aren’t busy adulting, Nik can be found in their writing nook, typing away as their fingers turn to nubs.
When they aren’t busy adulting, Nik can be found in their writing nook, typing away as their fingers turn to nubs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
December 7, 2024
✅ Pace
✅ Quick read
✅ Multiple POVs
✅ Angels and Demons
✅ Angst / Darker than previous books
✅ Characters
✅ Plot / Politics
🆗 Romance (not the main focus at all)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of rape, murder, gore and torture, PTSD, and death of loved ones
Now we’re talking! This is what I’ve been waiting for for 4 books now! Redemption is dark, angsty, and intense, and there is a plot and a goal to achieve for once!
Everyone is suffering in this fifth installment. Riley is stuck in Hell with Lucifer and his Fallens, and he is forced to become his worse self in order to survive. Noel, Jai, and Gideon are desperately looking for Riley, but are unable to find him, and the longer they spend away from him, the more they are breaking.
This book is much darker and angstier than the previous ones (make sure to read the trigger warnings), and I loved it for that reason. I needed the stakes to get higher, I needed this intensity and darkness to get hooked again in this series because it was starting to get repetitive and boring.
I am not usually a big fan of books where the main characters or the love interests are separated, but I just loved this one. The way it was written kept the stakes high and I kept on needing to read “just one more chapter” to see what would happen and when they would finally be reunited. The fact that the first part is from the ex-guardians’ POV and the second part is from Riley’s POV was also a nice change. It allowed us to see how Riley’s disappearance affected both sides, and I think the fact that we didn’t jump from one POV to the other in every chapter made it easier to remain invested in the story.
There is more politics in this book, as the angels are trying to get Riley back, and the Fallens, more specifically Lucifer, are trying to mold him into a weapon to defeat the angels. Riley realizes that almost everyone wants to use him for their own gain, and he is just stuck in the middle of a war he wants nothing to do with. It is also more plot-driven because for once the characters actually have a goal to achieve besides surviving the odd threat and going through their everyday life.
There was also a big growth in Riley in this book, and I think it will make him much more likable in the final book. I think (and hope) that we are done with the pushover that was always afraid of disappointing people, always apologizing, and always crying. While he remained compliant for most of the book because it was the only way for him to survive, we can also see that Riley has had enough, and he is standing up for himself at the end of this book, not hesitating to tell people off and to do what he wants to do, not what people tell him to do.
One thing that I enjoyed less about this book is the fact that the traitor’s identity was obvious to me. There was some foreshadowing, that made it too easy to guess, even though the traitor managed to use others as scapegoats. The way things happened was supposed to make it harder for us readers to know whom to trust, but to me, the traitor’s identity has been obvious since the moment they were mentioned for the first time (which was not even in this book).
1. Revelations ⭐⭐⭐.5
2. Sacrifice ⭐⭐⭐.5
3. Illusion ⭐⭐⭐.5
4. Betrayal ⭐⭐⭐
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✅ Quick read
✅ Multiple POVs
✅ Angels and Demons
✅ Angst / Darker than previous books
✅ Characters
✅ Plot / Politics
🆗 Romance (not the main focus at all)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of rape, murder, gore and torture, PTSD, and death of loved ones
“When you think you’re lost forever, they’ll pull you back. Because love is stronger than hate. Light is stronger than darkness. But you have to fight for it.”
Now we’re talking! This is what I’ve been waiting for for 4 books now! Redemption is dark, angsty, and intense, and there is a plot and a goal to achieve for once!
Everyone is suffering in this fifth installment. Riley is stuck in Hell with Lucifer and his Fallens, and he is forced to become his worse self in order to survive. Noel, Jai, and Gideon are desperately looking for Riley, but are unable to find him, and the longer they spend away from him, the more they are breaking.
This book is much darker and angstier than the previous ones (make sure to read the trigger warnings), and I loved it for that reason. I needed the stakes to get higher, I needed this intensity and darkness to get hooked again in this series because it was starting to get repetitive and boring.
I am not usually a big fan of books where the main characters or the love interests are separated, but I just loved this one. The way it was written kept the stakes high and I kept on needing to read “just one more chapter” to see what would happen and when they would finally be reunited. The fact that the first part is from the ex-guardians’ POV and the second part is from Riley’s POV was also a nice change. It allowed us to see how Riley’s disappearance affected both sides, and I think the fact that we didn’t jump from one POV to the other in every chapter made it easier to remain invested in the story.
There is more politics in this book, as the angels are trying to get Riley back, and the Fallens, more specifically Lucifer, are trying to mold him into a weapon to defeat the angels. Riley realizes that almost everyone wants to use him for their own gain, and he is just stuck in the middle of a war he wants nothing to do with. It is also more plot-driven because for once the characters actually have a goal to achieve besides surviving the odd threat and going through their everyday life.
There was also a big growth in Riley in this book, and I think it will make him much more likable in the final book. I think (and hope) that we are done with the pushover that was always afraid of disappointing people, always apologizing, and always crying. While he remained compliant for most of the book because it was the only way for him to survive, we can also see that Riley has had enough, and he is standing up for himself at the end of this book, not hesitating to tell people off and to do what he wants to do, not what people tell him to do.
One thing that I enjoyed less about this book is the fact that the traitor’s identity was obvious to me. There was some foreshadowing, that made it too easy to guess, even though the traitor managed to use others as scapegoats. The way things happened was supposed to make it harder for us readers to know whom to trust, but to me, the traitor’s identity has been obvious since the moment they were mentioned for the first time (which was not even in this book).
1. Revelations ⭐⭐⭐.5
2. Sacrifice ⭐⭐⭐.5
3. Illusion ⭐⭐⭐.5
4. Betrayal ⭐⭐⭐
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August 27, 2025
Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.
Yeah this book wrecked me in all the ways. Book 4 was sad as hell but I somehow cried even more while reading this. The whole series is definitely not for anyone who doesn't like angst, external or internal (usually both). It definitely piled on the trauma as much as possible, maybe even too much at times, but I had a great time reading it and finished it really quickly, just like all the others.
It was nice to see Riley and Gideon finally talk about what's going on between them and progress their relationship a bit. Have I mentioned I love Gideon? He's the best MMC ever.
Equally excited and scared to read the final book.
Note: every book has a pretty intense list of content warnings but this is probably the 'worst' one yet, so please check those first if needed.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Established couples
Why choose/poly
MM+
Paranormal
Angels and demons
Size difference
Action and suspense
Lucifer is evil
Past trauma
Vengeful guardians
Hurt/comfort
Rescue mission
Asexual rep
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Graphic violence and gore
Explicit sexual content
Mention of SC praying for death
Off-page rape of side character (non graphic, few details)
On-page gang rape of SC (non graphic, no details)
Mention of past domestic abuse (MC victim)
On-page seizure (MC)
Details of past domestic abuse (MC and foster parent)
Internalized aphobia and feelings of shame related to lack of libido
Self harm (punching wall to the point of injury)
Mention of MC being drugged and assaulted by ex (past, off page in book 2)
Jealousy
Violence between MCs
On-page rape of unnamed enslaved character (not graphic)
Themes of slavery
Vomiting
MC drugged on page - severely intoxicated
Non-consensual medical experiments on MC (on page)
Use of homophobic slur
On and off-page torture of MC (graphic)
Psychological manipulation and brainwashing of MC by bad guys
On and off-page injuries (MC)
Death of unnamed side character (on page)
Unconscious unnamed character used as incubator for fetus
Psychological torture of MC (on page)
MC forced to hurt innocent people
Graphic description of eviscerated corpse (MC's friend)
Suicidal ideation
MC considering suicide methods/plans on page
Severely injured MC
Some details of past rape of MC (abuser retelling it)
MC not eating food over a long period of time
On-page death of MC's friends
Grief
MC threatened with rape
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Briefly detailed hookup with a random in the past (years ago, plot relevant)
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd and 1st person, multi
Genre: Paranormal romance, why choose
Pairing: M/M/M
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
Main characters’ age: 20 and several centuries
Series: Series
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 302
Happy ending: No
Gideon didn’t want sex from Riley, but he still wanted Riley. Could Riley accept that? Could he ever understand Gideon’s yearning for companionship, intimacy, and love, even if he might never want anything sexual?
I wanted Gideon, my anchor, my safety. I wanted Jai, my strength, my freedom. I wanted Noel, my passion, my love.
“And if the Maker calls me home before you, know that I will wait for you on the shore, watching for your boat on the horizon until we’re together again.”
“You can pretend I never said anything.” I hated the way my voice broke, the way I trembled like a leaf. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I know we’re not… I know I’m not what you want, and that’s okay. But can I still love you? Is that—can I just love you? Please don’t be mad that I love you.”
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
Yeah this book wrecked me in all the ways. Book 4 was sad as hell but I somehow cried even more while reading this. The whole series is definitely not for anyone who doesn't like angst, external or internal (usually both). It definitely piled on the trauma as much as possible, maybe even too much at times, but I had a great time reading it and finished it really quickly, just like all the others.
It was nice to see Riley and Gideon finally talk about what's going on between them and progress their relationship a bit. Have I mentioned I love Gideon? He's the best MMC ever.
Equally excited and scared to read the final book.
Note: every book has a pretty intense list of content warnings but this is probably the 'worst' one yet, so please check those first if needed.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Established couples
Why choose/poly
MM+
Paranormal
Angels and demons
Size difference
Action and suspense
Lucifer is evil
Past trauma
Vengeful guardians
Hurt/comfort
Rescue mission
Asexual rep
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Graphic violence and gore
Explicit sexual content
Mention of SC praying for death
Off-page rape of side character (non graphic, few details)
On-page gang rape of SC (non graphic, no details)
Mention of past domestic abuse (MC victim)
On-page seizure (MC)
Details of past domestic abuse (MC and foster parent)
Internalized aphobia and feelings of shame related to lack of libido
Self harm (punching wall to the point of injury)
Mention of MC being drugged and assaulted by ex (past, off page in book 2)
Jealousy
Violence between MCs
On-page rape of unnamed enslaved character (not graphic)
Themes of slavery
Vomiting
MC drugged on page - severely intoxicated
Non-consensual medical experiments on MC (on page)
Use of homophobic slur
On and off-page torture of MC (graphic)
Psychological manipulation and brainwashing of MC by bad guys
On and off-page injuries (MC)
Death of unnamed side character (on page)
Unconscious unnamed character used as incubator for fetus
Psychological torture of MC (on page)
MC forced to hurt innocent people
Graphic description of eviscerated corpse (MC's friend)
Suicidal ideation
MC considering suicide methods/plans on page
Severely injured MC
Some details of past rape of MC (abuser retelling it)
MC not eating food over a long period of time
On-page death of MC's friends
Grief
MC threatened with rape
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Briefly detailed hookup with a random in the past (years ago, plot relevant)
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd and 1st person, multi
Genre: Paranormal romance, why choose
Pairing: M/M/M
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
Main characters’ age: 20 and several centuries
Series: Series
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 302
Happy ending: No
Gideon didn’t want sex from Riley, but he still wanted Riley. Could Riley accept that? Could he ever understand Gideon’s yearning for companionship, intimacy, and love, even if he might never want anything sexual?
I wanted Gideon, my anchor, my safety. I wanted Jai, my strength, my freedom. I wanted Noel, my passion, my love.
“And if the Maker calls me home before you, know that I will wait for you on the shore, watching for your boat on the horizon until we’re together again.”
“You can pretend I never said anything.” I hated the way my voice broke, the way I trembled like a leaf. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I know we’re not… I know I’m not what you want, and that’s okay. But can I still love you? Is that—can I just love you? Please don’t be mad that I love you.”
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
April 28, 2024
BRB I have to casually cry for the next 5 years 😭
October 16, 2020
This book is simply torture.
This book showed me different types of pain. Pain from love. separation. Departure. Oppression. Betrayal. Defeat. Rape. Fear. Losing control. Unwillingness. Ripping freedom away. And personally the worst pain in this book was the pain of having no choice. It devastated me so much how could someone was born to live with so much pain and suffering and agony. You name it. It tore my fucking heart out how injustice and inequity it was for Riley to handle and harbor all that God knows what he had gone through. Fuck. it fucking ached. I can’t believe I am saying this but I despised Nikole for it. I know I did not mean it. But sue me! This book radiates pain and fucking welcomes it. Those who tarnished my Riley and his family, I am not ashamed to say that they are just not worthy of a heart to beat and a mouth to smile or shame others except themselves. I want to kill those unworthy of breath with my bare hands and see the worthless life leave them until they die like lifeless bitches they were and It would be glorious and I would grin so wide it hurt and then I would regret because they deserved way worse than death. Oh, heaven and hell. I was so angry and I saw red. There were so many casualties including my favorites. Too many farewells. It saddened me with sorrow. Oh! I then realized Heartbreak comes in different forms. Some people are just animals, weaponizing emotions, love and trust to manipulate and deceive for their own ends. It angered me.
But nothing lasts forever, the storm passed and we got some intimate and heartfelt moments. It almost lessened the pain. Almost. This book did these things to me. Damn, I was so engrossed in it.
This book showed me different types of pain. Pain from love. separation. Departure. Oppression. Betrayal. Defeat. Rape. Fear. Losing control. Unwillingness. Ripping freedom away. And personally the worst pain in this book was the pain of having no choice. It devastated me so much how could someone was born to live with so much pain and suffering and agony. You name it. It tore my fucking heart out how injustice and inequity it was for Riley to handle and harbor all that God knows what he had gone through. Fuck. it fucking ached. I can’t believe I am saying this but I despised Nikole for it. I know I did not mean it. But sue me! This book radiates pain and fucking welcomes it. Those who tarnished my Riley and his family, I am not ashamed to say that they are just not worthy of a heart to beat and a mouth to smile or shame others except themselves. I want to kill those unworthy of breath with my bare hands and see the worthless life leave them until they die like lifeless bitches they were and It would be glorious and I would grin so wide it hurt and then I would regret because they deserved way worse than death. Oh, heaven and hell. I was so angry and I saw red. There were so many casualties including my favorites. Too many farewells. It saddened me with sorrow. Oh! I then realized Heartbreak comes in different forms. Some people are just animals, weaponizing emotions, love and trust to manipulate and deceive for their own ends. It angered me.
But nothing lasts forever, the storm passed and we got some intimate and heartfelt moments. It almost lessened the pain. Almost. This book did these things to me. Damn, I was so engrossed in it.
November 30, 2025
5⭐️ Goddamn, this book was dark and sad but I think it was my favorite. No spoilers but this author isn’t afraid to take away characters that have grown on us. I haven’t felt this gutted by a character death since the Suriel.
This series isn’t perfect, and all the characters have flaws, but it’s a hell of a journey and very entertaining. A lot less spice than I thought there would be with a harem dynamic. Like barely any. But that doesn’t bother me; I actually prefer it.
This series isn’t perfect, and all the characters have flaws, but it’s a hell of a journey and very entertaining. A lot less spice than I thought there would be with a harem dynamic. Like barely any. But that doesn’t bother me; I actually prefer it.
November 28, 2022
This was heart breaking 💔 to read.... One of the things I love about this series is that every book that comes out you learn more and more about each character and their past. This helped me as a reader to understand Gideon, Jai, and Noel better. Riley really went through hell 😱😳 in this book both physical and mental, not an easy read but his family never gave up! 🥰
February 12, 2022
Time of Death 38%. Please DNR. Ive been ready to part with this story since book 2 but instead of just pulling the plug I suffered a self imposed slow death. 😑
June 10, 2024
3.75/5.
My favourite so far.
My favourite so far.
October 23, 2024
Third read. The greatest love story ever told maybe
Update: second read August 2021, still fucking incredible, Im crying
Original review:
Goosebumps. And tears. Nikole Knight said this would be the darkest installment in the series, and it was. It was just pain from start to finish, but since it’s also been the shortest one so far, I just plowed through it and finished it in less than a day. This book saw Riley undergo terrible torture, and it saw his angels suffering. Riley’s dark power grows, but as much as there is heartbreak in this book, the way it develops and what it promises has me hooked. This felt like a proper lead-up to the conclusion of the series, but I don’t want it to be over. At the same time, I want to see the healing and happiness promised at the end. I’m so glad I discovered this series.
Update: second read August 2021, still fucking incredible, Im crying
Original review:
Goosebumps. And tears. Nikole Knight said this would be the darkest installment in the series, and it was. It was just pain from start to finish, but since it’s also been the shortest one so far, I just plowed through it and finished it in less than a day. This book saw Riley undergo terrible torture, and it saw his angels suffering. Riley’s dark power grows, but as much as there is heartbreak in this book, the way it develops and what it promises has me hooked. This felt like a proper lead-up to the conclusion of the series, but I don’t want it to be over. At the same time, I want to see the healing and happiness promised at the end. I’m so glad I discovered this series.
October 3, 2020
This may be the most difficult book yet in this series. It is really hard to read what Riley goes through during his captivity, and what Gideon, Jai, and Noel go through.
Really, it's like Nikole Knight has just reached into my chest and ripped out my heart to dance on it. And yet, I'll continue to let her.
Really, it's like Nikole Knight has just reached into my chest and ripped out my heart to dance on it. And yet, I'll continue to let her.
November 22, 2024
I’ve slowly been making my way through this series. It was a while since I listened to book 4 but I got the urge to continue so I got the audiobook for this one. I’m really sad with how much I didn’t enjoy this one compared to the rest of the series. Riley isn’t with his angels for most of the books and things happened that I wasn’t fond of and it just didn’t gel with me unfortunately. If you’re enjoying the series I still recommend as it continues the story.
October 26, 2020
Redemption by Nikole Knight
Rating: 4.5 stars
I knew going in that this was going to be a rough read, but I had no idea how upset I was going to get over the events that happened. I am really hoping that series is over soon because I really want to know the outcome but I’m not sure how much more my heart can take.
Rating: 4.5 stars
I knew going in that this was going to be a rough read, but I had no idea how upset I was going to get over the events that happened. I am really hoping that series is over soon because I really want to know the outcome but I’m not sure how much more my heart can take.
April 9, 2021
Best one so far
Honestly love the depth she brought to each character. This is my first five star and I'm so happy I picked this series up on a whim!
Honestly love the depth she brought to each character. This is my first five star and I'm so happy I picked this series up on a whim!
October 23, 2022
Oh my god!!! I want to finish it but i don't want it to end....
Its so good
Its so good
April 1, 2023
Oooph. This was so heavy but so well written. I'm a junkie for this series and not even afraid to admit it.
October 2, 2020
Beautifully Tragic
This series continues to punch me in the heart. I feel a little broken, but I can also feel the love behind the all the sorrow and suffering. Thanks Nikole for these books and for Riley. To anyone who hasn't read the series...you won't regret the magic of it, but beware...this one hurts as much as it gives.
This series continues to punch me in the heart. I feel a little broken, but I can also feel the love behind the all the sorrow and suffering. Thanks Nikole for these books and for Riley. To anyone who hasn't read the series...you won't regret the magic of it, but beware...this one hurts as much as it gives.
February 16, 2024
RE-READ
16/02/2024
I cried a lot. That epilogue fucking obliterated me
*
FIRST READ
25/09/2021
When the author noted that this would be the darkest book of the series, she was not kidding. This book is the darkest and the most painful book of the series. It might not be the darkest book I have ever read in my entire life, but it certainly one of the most well-written one. And THAT is much harder to find.
I was going to write a bit of essay review for this entire series either in its last book or the first book (because we all saw the way I had scoffed and rolled my eyes with the way Riley had been acting in the first book. Yeesh.) but I feel like Redemption deserves its own review.
As most of you who have read the previous four books, you know that this series is not a dark romance. The romance(s) inside this book is tender and selfless, protective and passionate, loving and reliable, but the whole series is filled with so much tragedy you're choking in it.
I remember, while reading Betrayal, I had to put down my Kindle just to BREATHE at certain scene. There would be deaths, I have known this, of course, not because I read spoilers but because I've read enough fiction (especially fantasy) to know that sometimes it's inevitable, if not necessary.
That said, I've known what I would be delving into when I started Redemption. I'd prepared myself, you could say, and I'd like to think I'm strong enough to read most tragedies in fiction by now.
The events inside this book were terrible, but that was not what impressed me about this book, about Nikole Knight as an author. It's super easy to write dark tragedy dark romance traumatizing events yadda yadda. Hell, I've read many of those "torture porn" or those works by authors who sell their works as "taboo dark romance! Don't read if you're not strong or open-minded enough". Blech. Cry me a river. Most of those stuff they wrote got one-star rating from me not because I wasn't, let's say, "open-minded enough". They were all just badly-written, selling tragedy and torture and taboo-whatever for cheap thrills. I knew it worked for many people, but I suppose that was just not my thing. So no, I was not impressed.
What I'm trying to say is, it's not difficult to write a tragedy, but it's hella difficult to write a tragedy WELL. Even harder to find a well-written tragic book that rings true to you.
So I could tell you that I was a bit worried going into Redemption because I was afraid it might turn into one of those...disappointing tragic fantasy fiction. But I shouldn't have been worried because Nikole Knight has just written everything so perfectly. Riley's forced revolution in this book was painful to watch, but it was also strangely believable to me. Rather than focusing on physical torture, I love that there was more moral conflict going on inside Riley. THAT made it more intense. It's so hard to read, but I find that I'm rooting for Riley. And I was excited for him when he started to embrace his power, even though the process was traumatizing.
I suppose it helps that there was so much balance in this book. Yes, there was tragedy. Yes, there were horror, helplessness, grief, loss, and everything awful you name it. But while Redemption has all of those those things, it also has hope. You could feel the thin hope in each chapters, the characters cared for each other even when it seemed impossible. And I think that was made so much difference from it being one of those unapologetic torture porn. This book--hell this whole series was SELF-AWARE. I don't know how else to say it. This series knows what's going on and knows that it's WRONG and that it shouldn't be glorified because it's awful. And it's BEAUTIFUL.
Anyway, that's all I'm trying to say about Redemption, specifically. I didn't want to write an essay, but here we fucking are. Smh. NIKOLE KNIGHT, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME???
Onto the next book. It's the last book. I AM NOT READY.
16/02/2024
I cried a lot. That epilogue fucking obliterated me
*
FIRST READ
25/09/2021
When the author noted that this would be the darkest book of the series, she was not kidding. This book is the darkest and the most painful book of the series. It might not be the darkest book I have ever read in my entire life, but it certainly one of the most well-written one. And THAT is much harder to find.
I was going to write a bit of essay review for this entire series either in its last book or the first book (because we all saw the way I had scoffed and rolled my eyes with the way Riley had been acting in the first book. Yeesh.) but I feel like Redemption deserves its own review.
As most of you who have read the previous four books, you know that this series is not a dark romance. The romance(s) inside this book is tender and selfless, protective and passionate, loving and reliable, but the whole series is filled with so much tragedy you're choking in it.
I remember, while reading Betrayal, I had to put down my Kindle just to BREATHE at certain scene. There would be deaths, I have known this, of course, not because I read spoilers but because I've read enough fiction (especially fantasy) to know that sometimes it's inevitable, if not necessary.
That said, I've known what I would be delving into when I started Redemption. I'd prepared myself, you could say, and I'd like to think I'm strong enough to read most tragedies in fiction by now.
The events inside this book were terrible, but that was not what impressed me about this book, about Nikole Knight as an author. It's super easy to write dark tragedy dark romance traumatizing events yadda yadda. Hell, I've read many of those "torture porn" or those works by authors who sell their works as "taboo dark romance! Don't read if you're not strong or open-minded enough". Blech. Cry me a river. Most of those stuff they wrote got one-star rating from me not because I wasn't, let's say, "open-minded enough". They were all just badly-written, selling tragedy and torture and taboo-whatever for cheap thrills. I knew it worked for many people, but I suppose that was just not my thing. So no, I was not impressed.
What I'm trying to say is, it's not difficult to write a tragedy, but it's hella difficult to write a tragedy WELL. Even harder to find a well-written tragic book that rings true to you.
So I could tell you that I was a bit worried going into Redemption because I was afraid it might turn into one of those...disappointing tragic fantasy fiction. But I shouldn't have been worried because Nikole Knight has just written everything so perfectly. Riley's forced revolution in this book was painful to watch, but it was also strangely believable to me. Rather than focusing on physical torture, I love that there was more moral conflict going on inside Riley. THAT made it more intense. It's so hard to read, but I find that I'm rooting for Riley. And I was excited for him when he started to embrace his power, even though the process was traumatizing.
I suppose it helps that there was so much balance in this book. Yes, there was tragedy. Yes, there were horror, helplessness, grief, loss, and everything awful you name it. But while Redemption has all of those those things, it also has hope. You could feel the thin hope in each chapters, the characters cared for each other even when it seemed impossible. And I think that was made so much difference from it being one of those unapologetic torture porn. This book--hell this whole series was SELF-AWARE. I don't know how else to say it. This series knows what's going on and knows that it's WRONG and that it shouldn't be glorified because it's awful. And it's BEAUTIFUL.
Anyway, that's all I'm trying to say about Redemption, specifically. I didn't want to write an essay, but here we fucking are. Smh. NIKOLE KNIGHT, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME???
Onto the next book. It's the last book. I AM NOT READY.
May 3, 2025
2025 update:have bought the audio since first reading and relistened at least 6 times since. 1000/10
First read 2022: Feelinngsss. I have so many of them thanks to this series😭 & I have absolutely no regrets despite this series gutting my insides more with every book.
Riley. My poor Riley.
Beau. My poor Beau. HIS trauma, which was hinted at in previous books, from which he healed from just got them to be torn back open again - omg it hurts.
Noel. My poor Noel… whose trauma I will *never* get over. I wish I could bundle Noel up in a warm fuzzy blankey & some bubble wrap & hide him away from the rest of the world. Yeah, he’s an angel with swords that kicks ass, but IDC. He’s too presh.
Giddy. His character arc is the most impressive, from standoffish professional guardian to one whose heart is repeatedly broken via Riley’s attempts at saving them by means of disappearing (for not the first time).
Belphegor. Beau. Blue.
The B names, I see a trend here.
My brain is a mess & I can’t form coherent thoughts, so thanks for coming to my Ted talk & I hope you’ve enjoyed this attempt at a review 😅🫠
First read 2022: Feelinngsss. I have so many of them thanks to this series😭 & I have absolutely no regrets despite this series gutting my insides more with every book.
Beau’s heart dropped to his toes. “What’s happened?”
With a thick, audible swallow, Gideon cleared his throat. His voice came out hoarse. “They took Riley.”
Three words, yet they drained Gideon of whatever life remained inside him. His shoulders slumped, his breath hitching.
“They took him.”
Beau’s throat swelled as panic buzzed through his veins.
Riley. My poor Riley.
Beau. My poor Beau. HIS trauma, which was hinted at in previous books, from which he healed from just got them to be torn back open again - omg it hurts.
Noel. My poor Noel… whose trauma I will *never* get over. I wish I could bundle Noel up in a warm fuzzy blankey & some bubble wrap & hide him away from the rest of the world. Yeah, he’s an angel with swords that kicks ass, but IDC. He’s too presh.
Giddy. His character arc is the most impressive, from standoffish professional guardian to one whose heart is repeatedly broken via Riley’s attempts at saving them by means of disappearing (for not the first time).
Belphegor. Beau. Blue.
The B names, I see a trend here.
My brain is a mess & I can’t form coherent thoughts, so thanks for coming to my Ted talk & I hope you’ve enjoyed this attempt at a review 😅🫠
May 21, 2025
“— Jai’s my…
— Yes. Noel will be, too, and Gideon.— He angled his head and traced his tattoo.— We need them. They keep us grounded, anchored. They remind us who we are.”❤️🩹
Te lo juro que no hay palabras en la RAE para expresar lo feliz que me hacen estos ángeles… los amo. 🫶🏻😫❤️
Ahora vamos por partes: puede al pobre Riley pasarle mejores cosas en el siguiente libro💀?? porque en este solo ha conocido la muerte. Y esa es otra, no me puedes presentar un personaje lindisimo para que a los cuatro capítulos me lo violes y evisceres (no es plan😞).
En cuanto a los ángeles: Gideon, a cada pagina te adoro más (puede este señor de dos metros dejar de ser tan puto tierno??)🥹❤️🔥. Noel, simplemente eres el mejor ( a ver si avanzas con Riley y Jai!!)🤭. Y Jai, cuánto has sufrido este libro por el vínculo con Riley🥺.
✨Frases divinas:✨
“He tapped my chest, and my heart jumped beneath his fingers.— I see you, precious one. And when you slip away, I’ll be here to show you the way home. Your monsters don’t scare me.
The red bled away from my vision.
He smiled.— There you are.
I choked on a half-sob, half-laugh.— Here I am.” AMO!!!❤️🩹
“I breathed his name like a prayer, my heart bursting as my angels squished me between them. They’d come for me. They’d found me.
— I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,— I babbled as they suffocated me with their love, interrupting my whimpers with kisses at every opportunity.” viva el amor chicos!!🤭❤️🔥
“I reached into the darkness for Jai’s voice, and for a moment, I swore I found him.
«Noel’s fingers dragged through our hair, rubbing our back, screaming our name.»
And bone cracked. Muscle and sinew tore. My flash rent as my wing was ripped from my spine. I thought I knew pain.”💔
“Every time I felt the breeze of souls passing on, it killed something inside me, like a piece of myself was taken with them. I didn’t blame them for roughing out a slice of my soul. After what I did to them, they deserved revenge, even in death.”😭
“— I love the way you love me, Gideon, and it’s enough. You’ve always been enough.” 🖤✨ (te amo Gideon)
— Yes. Noel will be, too, and Gideon.— He angled his head and traced his tattoo.— We need them. They keep us grounded, anchored. They remind us who we are.”❤️🩹
Te lo juro que no hay palabras en la RAE para expresar lo feliz que me hacen estos ángeles… los amo. 🫶🏻😫❤️
Ahora vamos por partes: puede al pobre Riley pasarle mejores cosas en el siguiente libro💀?? porque en este solo ha conocido la muerte. Y esa es otra, no me puedes presentar un personaje lindisimo para que a los cuatro capítulos me lo violes y evisceres (no es plan😞).
En cuanto a los ángeles: Gideon, a cada pagina te adoro más (puede este señor de dos metros dejar de ser tan puto tierno??)🥹❤️🔥. Noel, simplemente eres el mejor ( a ver si avanzas con Riley y Jai!!)🤭. Y Jai, cuánto has sufrido este libro por el vínculo con Riley🥺.
✨Frases divinas:✨
“He tapped my chest, and my heart jumped beneath his fingers.— I see you, precious one. And when you slip away, I’ll be here to show you the way home. Your monsters don’t scare me.
The red bled away from my vision.
He smiled.— There you are.
I choked on a half-sob, half-laugh.— Here I am.” AMO!!!❤️🩹
“I breathed his name like a prayer, my heart bursting as my angels squished me between them. They’d come for me. They’d found me.
— I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,— I babbled as they suffocated me with their love, interrupting my whimpers with kisses at every opportunity.” viva el amor chicos!!🤭❤️🔥
“I reached into the darkness for Jai’s voice, and for a moment, I swore I found him.
«Noel’s fingers dragged through our hair, rubbing our back, screaming our name.»
And bone cracked. Muscle and sinew tore. My flash rent as my wing was ripped from my spine. I thought I knew pain.”💔
“Every time I felt the breeze of souls passing on, it killed something inside me, like a piece of myself was taken with them. I didn’t blame them for roughing out a slice of my soul. After what I did to them, they deserved revenge, even in death.”😭
“— I love the way you love me, Gideon, and it’s enough. You’ve always been enough.” 🖤✨ (te amo Gideon)
May 1, 2022
Tough listen (an audio review)
I struggled with this audio. I’ve listened to every one in the series, and am completely invested in these characters, and so pushed through. As the trigger warning says, there is intense gore in Chapter 12. I have a strong constitution, and even I almost caved. It broke my heart. I’ll also warn you not to get too attached to any characters who aren’t the main four because you just never know. No one is safe in this book. Bad guys, good guys – anyone can be taken out at any time.
Okay, now the warning is over, I’ll get to the review. The fourth book ended on a cliffhanger. Riley was giving into Lucifer’s demands and walking away from the three men in his life whom he loves more than anything. The parting was poignant – including his touching and physical parting from Jai – and I despaired. Now, I knew more books were on the way, so I wasn’t too panicked.
Riley is now in Hell. Well, not literal hell, but close enough. As a hybrid, the bad people are doing experiments and other horrible things to him. I felt his pain viscerally. His angels are searching for him everywhere, but there are more bad people hampering the search. I kept thinking, okay, just find him already! But that would’ve been a very short and boring book. This book is neither of those things.
Things come to a head and the groundwork has been laid for the epic battle I anticipate in the final installment. I’m hoping everyone survives, but with this author, nothing is for sure. I can’t wait.
Kirt Graves is narrating this series and I just adore him. He’s so perfect for Riley, and he does a great job with the other angels (and the bad people as well). I’m sitting on the edge of my seat for the next book.
I struggled with this audio. I’ve listened to every one in the series, and am completely invested in these characters, and so pushed through. As the trigger warning says, there is intense gore in Chapter 12. I have a strong constitution, and even I almost caved. It broke my heart. I’ll also warn you not to get too attached to any characters who aren’t the main four because you just never know. No one is safe in this book. Bad guys, good guys – anyone can be taken out at any time.
Okay, now the warning is over, I’ll get to the review. The fourth book ended on a cliffhanger. Riley was giving into Lucifer’s demands and walking away from the three men in his life whom he loves more than anything. The parting was poignant – including his touching and physical parting from Jai – and I despaired. Now, I knew more books were on the way, so I wasn’t too panicked.
Riley is now in Hell. Well, not literal hell, but close enough. As a hybrid, the bad people are doing experiments and other horrible things to him. I felt his pain viscerally. His angels are searching for him everywhere, but there are more bad people hampering the search. I kept thinking, okay, just find him already! But that would’ve been a very short and boring book. This book is neither of those things.
Things come to a head and the groundwork has been laid for the epic battle I anticipate in the final installment. I’m hoping everyone survives, but with this author, nothing is for sure. I can’t wait.
Kirt Graves is narrating this series and I just adore him. He’s so perfect for Riley, and he does a great job with the other angels (and the bad people as well). I’m sitting on the edge of my seat for the next book.
October 4, 2020
Well......damn. This book pulled no punches when it comes to the story telling of what the MC's go through so be sure to read trigger warnings for what is ahead. The prologue is hard and descriptive, a perfect showcase of the whole book.
There is hopelessness, fear, anger and guilt shared between Gideon, Noel and Jai as the search for Riley starts and continues through never ending days. Jai suffering most for a surprising reason.
There is hopelessness, fear and pain at the hands of the Seven for Riley after he agreed to go with them in order to keep those he loved safe. There is a never ending cycle of training, reward and abuse that he has to deal with and and what emerges is something unexpected for them all. His angels fight to find him whilst Riley fights to stay alive and there are a lot of moments that are hard to read, especially when it comes at the hands of his captors.
This has to be one of the hardest books I've read. There is a lot on the page that is definitely not for everyone and it's hardest of the series, physically and mentally for the four MC's but it shines a light on Riley's strengths as well as his need to keep the balances with all sides of himself. So excited to read the next book in the series to see how the group move forward from here.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
There is hopelessness, fear, anger and guilt shared between Gideon, Noel and Jai as the search for Riley starts and continues through never ending days. Jai suffering most for a surprising reason.
There is hopelessness, fear and pain at the hands of the Seven for Riley after he agreed to go with them in order to keep those he loved safe. There is a never ending cycle of training, reward and abuse that he has to deal with and and what emerges is something unexpected for them all. His angels fight to find him whilst Riley fights to stay alive and there are a lot of moments that are hard to read, especially when it comes at the hands of his captors.
This has to be one of the hardest books I've read. There is a lot on the page that is definitely not for everyone and it's hardest of the series, physically and mentally for the four MC's but it shines a light on Riley's strengths as well as his need to keep the balances with all sides of himself. So excited to read the next book in the series to see how the group move forward from here.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
January 30, 2023
✨️ B O O K - R E V I E W ✨️
"LUCIFER WANTED A WEAPON, BUT HE HAD CREATED A MONSTER INSTEAD. AND THIS MONSTER WOULD DESTROY HIM. I WOULD MAKE SURE OF IT" - Riley 🔥
F&B: Redemption (Scroll 5) - Nikole Knight.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 🔥.
Again this book has been devoured in a single sitting.
This was definitely the darkest part of Riley’s journey, but my god is was good. This series is quickly becoming one of my favourites and I'm so sad I only have 1 book left to go 🥺.
"I WANTED GIDEON, MY ANCHOR, MY SAFETY. I WANTED JAI, MY STRENGTH, MY FREEDOM. I WANTED NOEL, MY PASSION, MY LOVE" - Riley🔥
Onto Part 6 and here's hoping for a happy ending for Riley and his Angels 🤞🏻.
I'll leave the blurb below.
"BUT COURAGE ISN'T THE ABSENCE OF FEAR. IT'S WHAT YOU DO IN THE FACE OF IT. SO FACE IT AND FIGHT" - Riley 🔥
"LUCIFER WANTED A WEAPON, BUT HE HAD CREATED A MONSTER INSTEAD. AND THIS MONSTER WOULD DESTROY HIM. I WOULD MAKE SURE OF IT" - Riley 🔥
F&B: Redemption (Scroll 5) - Nikole Knight.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 🔥.
Again this book has been devoured in a single sitting.
This was definitely the darkest part of Riley’s journey, but my god is was good. This series is quickly becoming one of my favourites and I'm so sad I only have 1 book left to go 🥺.
"I WANTED GIDEON, MY ANCHOR, MY SAFETY. I WANTED JAI, MY STRENGTH, MY FREEDOM. I WANTED NOEL, MY PASSION, MY LOVE" - Riley🔥
Onto Part 6 and here's hoping for a happy ending for Riley and his Angels 🤞🏻.
I'll leave the blurb below.
"BUT COURAGE ISN'T THE ABSENCE OF FEAR. IT'S WHAT YOU DO IN THE FACE OF IT. SO FACE IT AND FIGHT" - Riley 🔥
April 11, 2023
This book hurt me on an emotional level and I LOVED IT!! I loved part one of this book, Gideon, Jai and Noel are everything. EVERYTHING!! I love them so much and getting those few chapters from their POV was everything to me and I read part one so fast. I consumed part one. Part two hurt me and my heart hurt because Riley is also everything and I LOVE HIM! My time spent reading this book was between hyperventilating and crying because I couldn't handle what was happening. PART THREE ffs! Are you serious? My heart imploded, just saying at one point I didn't think I would survive but I did haha! I honestly don't know what my life was like before these books came into my life - I can't imagine not knowing these characters and I never want to know!!
November 8, 2025
I FUCKING POWERED THROUGH THIS BOOK. IT WAS SOOOOO HARD!!!!
my heart hurts, my souls hunted and i skimmed the majority of the book.🥲 (IM SORRY I COULDNT TAKE IT)
i wanna have some words with some of the characters in these book honestly.🔪
my heart hurts, my souls hunted and i skimmed the majority of the book.🥲 (IM SORRY I COULDNT TAKE IT)
i wanna have some words with some of the characters in these book honestly.🔪
June 8, 2021
⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️
January 6, 2024
Firstly, the trigger warning at the beginning of the book should definitely be taken into account.
Now to the reading experience. The book was dramatic and very moving. I personally also cried a little. A thoroughly successful sequel.
Now to the reading experience. The book was dramatic and very moving. I personally also cried a little. A thoroughly successful sequel.
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