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The Borders War #4
Falling, One by One
Book 4 in The Borders War series Whether Armise lived or died was never supposed to matter to Merq. As the fight for the kids of the jacquerie begins and the war between Opposition and Revolution heightens, Merq discovers that he may not have as much control over his actions as he thought he did. Further complicating their tangled relationship, Armise may be just as compromised. Desperate to learn the truth, Merq and Armise put themselves directly in the path of a powerful enemy. They’ve spent fifteen years of their lives on the knife’s edge of trust and loyalty. What they learn about each other’s pasts—and what it means for their future—will bring them together or definitively tear them apart. Merq’s life has always been at risk—one bullet away from death in sacrifice of his mission. As his focus begins to shift, Merq may be too late to understand what, and who, is most important in his life. About S.A. McAuley I sleep little, read a lot. Happiest in a foreign country. Twitchy when not mentally in motion. My name is Sam, not Sammy, definitely not Samantha. I’m a pretty dark/cynical/jaded person, but I hide that darkness well behind my obsession(s) for shiny objects. I’m the macabre wrapped in irresistible bubble wrap and a glittery pink bow, I suppose.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 19, 2016
1 person is currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
S.A. McAuley
27 books245 followersSam is a wandering queer romance author who sleeps little and reads a lot. Happiest in a foreign country. Twitchy when not mentally in motion. Her name is Sam, not Sammy, definitely not Samantha. She’s a dark/cynical/jaded person, but hides that darkness well behind her obsession(s) with shiny objects.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 4, 2019
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Hmmmmmm*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
This one was even better than the third one; we got to see Merq Grayson (37?) and Armise Darcan (40?) become even closer. However, there's still lots of space they need covered. Luckily, this book didn't contain so much information as the previous books in the series had. It still lacks enough emotions though. And if I'll be furious. It won't be acceptable to me. He doesn't deserve that. Neither does. Overall, I like it, yet I don't like how less the main characters are becoming. I mean, how can they always be 10 steps behind and everyone being now better than them....? Book five better give me full closure and a good one at that.
“What I was starting to say before… What I meant to say…”
Armise set his hands on his hips, hung his head down and waited me out.
“Armise, please.”
I didn’t beg except for when he had his hands on me, when I was pleading for him to take me apart. But giving voice to this…
It was much more intimate than sex would ever be.
“What I was going to say was that I don’t know if I’ll ever be worthy of a man like you.”
Armise’s head snapped up, his silver-blue gaze blazing a scorching path through me. I held out a shaking hand for him. “You’re too far away.”
He scrubbed his left hand over his face, over his lips, his gaze fixated on the bracelets that circled my rifle.
“Please,” I repeated.
He took two determined steps to me, grasped my hand and sank to his knees in front of me so that he could look directly at me.
Into me.
I shivered.
“How do you do this to me, Merq?”
I swallowed, my cock growing hard with the simple touch of his palm to mine. “Why do you ask so many questions?” I taunted him, my voice going rough.
“We may not be good men, but there is good in us. Let me prove this to you.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Dystopian (M/M).
Series: - Series, Book Four.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - A tie between Armise Darcan & Merq Grayson.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? -Sure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 3 stars.
June 14, 2018
Jesus fucking christ.
A lot of shit happens in this one. Things really pick up and honestly, Ahriman needs to die a slow and painful death.
Armise and Merq are, as always, amazing together. And there are truths that come to light that are surprising and been a LONG time coming. Some of the things we learn had me going 'whattttt' seriously we would know so much more if we got Armise's POV too lol.
I can't say much without giving stuff away, but the fight against the Opposition and Ahriman specifically escalates in this, and for the most part it doesn't go well for them. But I'm hopeful that their love will be the one thing Ahriman didn't and cannot account for.
Ahh! On to the next book because it's driving me crazy wanting to know what happens next! So good!
A lot of shit happens in this one. Things really pick up and honestly, Ahriman needs to die a slow and painful death.
Armise and Merq are, as always, amazing together. And there are truths that come to light that are surprising and been a LONG time coming. Some of the things we learn had me going 'whattttt' seriously we would know so much more if we got Armise's POV too lol.
I can't say much without giving stuff away, but the fight against the Opposition and Ahriman specifically escalates in this, and for the most part it doesn't go well for them. But I'm hopeful that their love will be the one thing Ahriman didn't and cannot account for.
Ahh! On to the next book because it's driving me crazy wanting to know what happens next! So good!
January 26, 2016
I've said this once, but I'll say it again...loudly...
FUCK! THIS SERIES IS AMAZING!!!
And Falling One by One is no exception; deserving of every multi exclamation point and capitolised word I'll no doubt be bombarding this review with, because WOW! I've just finished the long awaited fourth offering from the exceptional Borders War saga and just...Just ...WOW! Once again I'm left in awe of the totally mind blowing imagination, intricately plotted world building and incredible writing skills of S.A. McAuley.
I've recently had the pleasure of re-reading the first three newly revised and re-edited versions. A gripping, unputdownable marathon that only served to remind me just how powerful and affecting the ongoing storyline of this series has turned out to be. Its focal point, the somewhat fucked up but inspired pairing off, of the emotionally stunted Merq Grayson and his mysterious, enigmatic counterpart, Armise Darcan. Two opposing, genetically modified, hard core soldiers whose gritty enemies to lovers relationship has spanned almost two decades. A torturous journey but one hell of a ride! Oh man, Ms McAuley does NOT go easy on these two men!
Falling One by One begins exactly where Powerless left off, so you'll need to be up to speed with the machinations and plot twists that have fueled the series up to now, as this is definitely not a point in the story where you can just jump in and hope to pick things up as you go along. Oh no...there are twists and turns galore and nothing or no one is who or what it seems. Exciting, intriguing, mind blowing, violent, hard hitting, hot and dark in tone...The list goes on but there have also been moments of tenderness between Merq and Armise that have moved me greatly. Emotion might not be something easily shown between them as a couple, but it's never far from the surface making this an emotionally satisfying read.....
Link to full review -> http://bit.ly/1RS1lpC
FUCK! THIS SERIES IS AMAZING!!!
And Falling One by One is no exception; deserving of every multi exclamation point and capitolised word I'll no doubt be bombarding this review with, because WOW! I've just finished the long awaited fourth offering from the exceptional Borders War saga and just...Just ...WOW! Once again I'm left in awe of the totally mind blowing imagination, intricately plotted world building and incredible writing skills of S.A. McAuley.
I've recently had the pleasure of re-reading the first three newly revised and re-edited versions. A gripping, unputdownable marathon that only served to remind me just how powerful and affecting the ongoing storyline of this series has turned out to be. Its focal point, the somewhat fucked up but inspired pairing off, of the emotionally stunted Merq Grayson and his mysterious, enigmatic counterpart, Armise Darcan. Two opposing, genetically modified, hard core soldiers whose gritty enemies to lovers relationship has spanned almost two decades. A torturous journey but one hell of a ride! Oh man, Ms McAuley does NOT go easy on these two men!
Falling One by One begins exactly where Powerless left off, so you'll need to be up to speed with the machinations and plot twists that have fueled the series up to now, as this is definitely not a point in the story where you can just jump in and hope to pick things up as you go along. Oh no...there are twists and turns galore and nothing or no one is who or what it seems. Exciting, intriguing, mind blowing, violent, hard hitting, hot and dark in tone...The list goes on but there have also been moments of tenderness between Merq and Armise that have moved me greatly. Emotion might not be something easily shown between them as a couple, but it's never far from the surface making this an emotionally satisfying read.....
Link to full review -> http://bit.ly/1RS1lpC
January 29, 2016
4.5 stars
Not gonna lie...this book HURT.
I've been waiting 3 books for answers. But the answers I got in book 4 were twisted and fucked up and made me hurt for Merq and Armise. They really were just pawns in a messed up war. But, their own fight for their lives, for each other, for their love...UGH...this is where it hurt the most.
This book had the most emotional angst of the series to date. I don't know that I was ready for it. But I lapped it up word by word.
HOW WILL THIS END????!!!! I don't want it to end...
May 6, 2016
Well, fuck.
Do you guys remember when I said that book 3 was painful and heartbreaking and just plain gorgeous despite of all that. Well, may I present you heartbreaking version 2.0.
The heartbreak and frustration that this book caused me came from a different place than book 3. Here, Merq and Armise are slowly finding more stability in each other, in the sense that they ground the other - make no mistake, their love story is layered, complex, passionate, selfish and selfless at the same time. It has ups and downs. Where Merq struggles to communicate and open up about his feelings, Armise is more like an open book that slays you whenever he puts himself out there for Merq. Where Merq is more blunt about questioning and their pasts and who they are and where they come from, Armise keeps being more guarded, keeping things secret, thinking that he does it because he's protecting Merq. And the thing is: there is SO much happening. So much.
While their relationship is certainly a very important part this is a book about war, power, death, people fucking with people and people fucking people up. This book deals with loss and pain. It deals with betrayal and blind trust. It deals with being a weapon for the war while at the same time being that one thing that keeps your loved one sane. It's complex, and I love it.
Questions that had been left unanswered were answered here, and my vision of Armise, Merq and their role here is clearer now. But just as some questions got their answers, some more questions are now dancing in my head. I literally FEAR for what's to come.
This installment ends with a cliffhanger, so make sure you have book 5 ready to start reading as soon as you're done with it.
Do you guys remember when I said that book 3 was painful and heartbreaking and just plain gorgeous despite of all that. Well, may I present you heartbreaking version 2.0.
The heartbreak and frustration that this book caused me came from a different place than book 3. Here, Merq and Armise are slowly finding more stability in each other, in the sense that they ground the other - make no mistake, their love story is layered, complex, passionate, selfish and selfless at the same time. It has ups and downs. Where Merq struggles to communicate and open up about his feelings, Armise is more like an open book that slays you whenever he puts himself out there for Merq. Where Merq is more blunt about questioning and their pasts and who they are and where they come from, Armise keeps being more guarded, keeping things secret, thinking that he does it because he's protecting Merq. And the thing is: there is SO much happening. So much.
While their relationship is certainly a very important part this is a book about war, power, death, people fucking with people and people fucking people up. This book deals with loss and pain. It deals with betrayal and blind trust. It deals with being a weapon for the war while at the same time being that one thing that keeps your loved one sane. It's complex, and I love it.
Questions that had been left unanswered were answered here, and my vision of Armise, Merq and their role here is clearer now. But just as some questions got their answers, some more questions are now dancing in my head. I literally FEAR for what's to come.
This installment ends with a cliffhanger, so make sure you have book 5 ready to start reading as soon as you're done with it.
May 27, 2016
I actually did a bad thing: I'm writing this review after I finished the next book. And my geriatric mind can't seem to remember specific details per se, except that Falling, One by One felt a bit lack luster to me. The main reason is that I've grown kind of tired with the plot: the Revolution, Ahriman, the politics, etc. All I really cared about was Merq and Armise, but this particular installment was very plotty and with a healthy heaping of "extra" thrown in that detracted from the romance I was looking for.
Overall, it was good. Just didn't light me on fire.
Overall, it was good. Just didn't light me on fire.
January 19, 2016
Anyone who reads books numbering in the triple digits every year knows that sometimes a book and its characters stick with you. And sometimes… well, they don’t. It’s the nature of this beastly addiction we have to fiction. And it’s what keeps us coming back for more—even when it feels like all our emotional boo-boos are being marinated in lemon juice and our guts are being ripped out through our tear ducts.
I first ran across the Borders War series back in June of 2013, when I read the blurb for One Breath, One Bullet and immediately 1-clicked it. Post-apocalyptic dystopia + soldier assassins? Yes, please. Dominant Predator soon followed One Breath, One Bullet (which was much shorter back then), which was followed by Powerless in March of 2014. And then… for reasons, there was a long break before the release of Falling, One by One, but by the end of the third book, I already knew beyond any shadow of a reasonable doubt that I was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with Merq Grayson and Armise Darcan. Honestly, having read the final words of the final book in the series already, I can’t even type their names right now without getting teary eyed. But don’t let that intimidate you or anything…
The Borders War is, inarguably, one of the most sadistically plotted series I’ve ever read. From the moment Merq and Armise appear on the page in book one, the first thing that becomes evident is that theirs is going to be a love story unlike any you’ve ever read before. We talk quite a lot about the enemies-to-lovers trope in genre romance. Some of us would even call it a staple favorite. But this? The difference between this and all those others is the difference between wading with emotional floaties into the shallow end of the angst pool—and tossing yourself into the ocean slathered in chum and wearing a lead-weighted lifejacket. Merq and Armise are bitter enemies, adversaries working on the opposite sides of a political shitstorm. Until they aren’t. They are drawn to each other in ways and for reasons that don’t become clear for many thousands of words and heartbreaks to come, and every single word and every single heartbreak is so worth it.
Where Powerless brings this series to its transitional arc in the tactical schemes of the remaining five countries that exist in this alternate world, Falling, One by One plunges us straight onto the battlefield of the emotional arc in this series. This is the point in the storyline where the tables begin to turn, where the sides in this war have nothing to do with geography or politics and everything to do with protecting the line of demarcation surrounding Merq and Armise themselves—where the only thing worth fighting for is each other. There are so many secrets and lies, so many questions asked and unasked, so many evasions and non-answers among the answers that every other paragraph feels like an “Are you fucking kidding me here?????” You should see my highlights and notes. At one point I think I found religion. The “holy shits!” and “Oh my Gods!” and “Jesus Christs!” … that’s just how these books feel. They make you want to cuss at them. A lot. And as you watch the tangled web of intrigues, betrayals, and deceptions begin to unravel, ever so methodically, you can’t help but ask yourself how much more these two men will have to go through—apart and together—before they find some measure of peace. A peace that may only be found in death. Though really, living and dying by the bullet becomes the least of their worries as the series progresses.
There is a common enemy Merq and Armise must find and eliminate in order to broker for and secure a world governed of the people, by the people, and for the people. And along the way, we watch Merq evolve as he begins to see how integral Armise Darcan is to not only his survival but to his very being. We watch Merq as he begins his own steady immersion into a sea of regrets. We watch him suffer. We watch Armise persevere through Merq’s willful obtuseness and blatant assheadedness (yes, that’s a word now). We watch a crazy bastard who perverts science and technology in his grand scheme to rule the world do his best to tear Merq and Armise apart while he sits back and watches the world burn. We watch as Merq wades through, and damn near drowns in, that regretful sea as the storyline wends its way into Strength of the Rising Sun, one of the single most epic emotional and psychological flagellations I’ve ever experienced between the covers of a book. And it was glorious. And it was painful. And it was a struggle to ask how much more Armise could take before he finally decided Merq wasn’t worth all the agony, because the fear was always this close to the surface that with every single moment Merq’s head remained steadfastly up his butt, it was one more moment of risk that Armise would give up and walk away…
I can’t tell you a single damn thing about the final book in this series for fear of spoiling something that’s happened along the way. Even the tiniest of details feels like a significant cog in the machine that grinds our emotions between its greedy teeth. Every single bit of Strength of the Rising Sun is gorgeous. All the characters—Simion, Naveed, Jegs, Exley, Chen, Manny, even Dakra (whose role was significant even though his on-page appearance was brief)… I could go on and on and on about the spectacle that is this superb cast of role players who are there to support and contrast our heroes. Every one of them is integral to the telling of this story, every single one of them essential to bringing Merq and Armise to the ultimate and vital final bid to save the world. And, most important of all, to try to save each other. We watch as these two men—men who have killed and killed again, who have hurt each other in myriad ways—face their ultimate fear… the kind of fear that would cripple weaker men… and they do so with the courage and conviction of love as the blade that balances them and vanquishes any- and everything else.
Intrigue, betrayal, secrets, lies, terror, horror, agony… and love. The greatest of these is the love that grows between Merq and Armise—even though there are times they’d still like to kill each other along the way. That love and the hope it offers is the one bright point of light in the darkness of this violent and unforgiving alt universe S.A. McAuley has crafted. Please trust me when I tell you that every single thing I’ve said to this point is in no way meant to steer you away from reading the Borders War series. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t ruin my head just a little in the end. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read and reread the final three chapters of Strength of the Rising Sun. Nor can I tell you how many times I’ve had to (unsuccessfully) blink back tears while writing this review. That, fellow readers, is phenomenal storytelling. That is what reading is all about. Having your heart shredded and put back together over and over again? It was so fucking worth it.
I love the end of this series beyond all reason. But, let’s be real, I also hate it just a little bit too, in only the best possible way—the way a book makes you feel everything you never want to feel again but also the way a book makes you want to read an entire series over again because you’re insane or a masochist or something. So grab the tissues, your liquor of choice, and a friend. Buddy read this series. I did. And I’m convinced it’s the only way I made it through without vomiting my heart out all over my Kindle.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
I first ran across the Borders War series back in June of 2013, when I read the blurb for One Breath, One Bullet and immediately 1-clicked it. Post-apocalyptic dystopia + soldier assassins? Yes, please. Dominant Predator soon followed One Breath, One Bullet (which was much shorter back then), which was followed by Powerless in March of 2014. And then… for reasons, there was a long break before the release of Falling, One by One, but by the end of the third book, I already knew beyond any shadow of a reasonable doubt that I was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with Merq Grayson and Armise Darcan. Honestly, having read the final words of the final book in the series already, I can’t even type their names right now without getting teary eyed. But don’t let that intimidate you or anything…
The Borders War is, inarguably, one of the most sadistically plotted series I’ve ever read. From the moment Merq and Armise appear on the page in book one, the first thing that becomes evident is that theirs is going to be a love story unlike any you’ve ever read before. We talk quite a lot about the enemies-to-lovers trope in genre romance. Some of us would even call it a staple favorite. But this? The difference between this and all those others is the difference between wading with emotional floaties into the shallow end of the angst pool—and tossing yourself into the ocean slathered in chum and wearing a lead-weighted lifejacket. Merq and Armise are bitter enemies, adversaries working on the opposite sides of a political shitstorm. Until they aren’t. They are drawn to each other in ways and for reasons that don’t become clear for many thousands of words and heartbreaks to come, and every single word and every single heartbreak is so worth it.
Where Powerless brings this series to its transitional arc in the tactical schemes of the remaining five countries that exist in this alternate world, Falling, One by One plunges us straight onto the battlefield of the emotional arc in this series. This is the point in the storyline where the tables begin to turn, where the sides in this war have nothing to do with geography or politics and everything to do with protecting the line of demarcation surrounding Merq and Armise themselves—where the only thing worth fighting for is each other. There are so many secrets and lies, so many questions asked and unasked, so many evasions and non-answers among the answers that every other paragraph feels like an “Are you fucking kidding me here?????” You should see my highlights and notes. At one point I think I found religion. The “holy shits!” and “Oh my Gods!” and “Jesus Christs!” … that’s just how these books feel. They make you want to cuss at them. A lot. And as you watch the tangled web of intrigues, betrayals, and deceptions begin to unravel, ever so methodically, you can’t help but ask yourself how much more these two men will have to go through—apart and together—before they find some measure of peace. A peace that may only be found in death. Though really, living and dying by the bullet becomes the least of their worries as the series progresses.
There is a common enemy Merq and Armise must find and eliminate in order to broker for and secure a world governed of the people, by the people, and for the people. And along the way, we watch Merq evolve as he begins to see how integral Armise Darcan is to not only his survival but to his very being. We watch Merq as he begins his own steady immersion into a sea of regrets. We watch him suffer. We watch Armise persevere through Merq’s willful obtuseness and blatant assheadedness (yes, that’s a word now). We watch a crazy bastard who perverts science and technology in his grand scheme to rule the world do his best to tear Merq and Armise apart while he sits back and watches the world burn. We watch as Merq wades through, and damn near drowns in, that regretful sea as the storyline wends its way into Strength of the Rising Sun, one of the single most epic emotional and psychological flagellations I’ve ever experienced between the covers of a book. And it was glorious. And it was painful. And it was a struggle to ask how much more Armise could take before he finally decided Merq wasn’t worth all the agony, because the fear was always this close to the surface that with every single moment Merq’s head remained steadfastly up his butt, it was one more moment of risk that Armise would give up and walk away…
I can’t tell you a single damn thing about the final book in this series for fear of spoiling something that’s happened along the way. Even the tiniest of details feels like a significant cog in the machine that grinds our emotions between its greedy teeth. Every single bit of Strength of the Rising Sun is gorgeous. All the characters—Simion, Naveed, Jegs, Exley, Chen, Manny, even Dakra (whose role was significant even though his on-page appearance was brief)… I could go on and on and on about the spectacle that is this superb cast of role players who are there to support and contrast our heroes. Every one of them is integral to the telling of this story, every single one of them essential to bringing Merq and Armise to the ultimate and vital final bid to save the world. And, most important of all, to try to save each other. We watch as these two men—men who have killed and killed again, who have hurt each other in myriad ways—face their ultimate fear… the kind of fear that would cripple weaker men… and they do so with the courage and conviction of love as the blade that balances them and vanquishes any- and everything else.
Intrigue, betrayal, secrets, lies, terror, horror, agony… and love. The greatest of these is the love that grows between Merq and Armise—even though there are times they’d still like to kill each other along the way. That love and the hope it offers is the one bright point of light in the darkness of this violent and unforgiving alt universe S.A. McAuley has crafted. Please trust me when I tell you that every single thing I’ve said to this point is in no way meant to steer you away from reading the Borders War series. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t ruin my head just a little in the end. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read and reread the final three chapters of Strength of the Rising Sun. Nor can I tell you how many times I’ve had to (unsuccessfully) blink back tears while writing this review. That, fellow readers, is phenomenal storytelling. That is what reading is all about. Having your heart shredded and put back together over and over again? It was so fucking worth it.
I love the end of this series beyond all reason. But, let’s be real, I also hate it just a little bit too, in only the best possible way—the way a book makes you feel everything you never want to feel again but also the way a book makes you want to read an entire series over again because you’re insane or a masochist or something. So grab the tissues, your liquor of choice, and a friend. Buddy read this series. I did. And I’m convinced it’s the only way I made it through without vomiting my heart out all over my Kindle.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
January 22, 2017
I don't give up on this series thanks to the characters and the plot considered as intrigue one, because as science fiction story this series is a hopeless case, full of inconsistencies.
January 28, 2016
This book was another awesome addition to this series!
There was so much going on in this story just wow I have no words for how much I loved this book! We find out so much more about Merq and Armise in this and the other characters in this world.
Merq and Armise work together against a enemy while at the same time find out so much more about each other. You get action, violence and angst in this book along with the caring and feelings between these two gritty alpha characters. I love the way these two men are together and how protective they are of each other.
With every book in this series you find out so much more about this world which made me love it more and more. Then there was the children that had been genetically modified who Merq and Armise fight to protect. I felt so bad for them and of course you get the evil man behind everything that you just can't help wishing someone would stop him.
With every book in this series you get so much pain and violence from this war but you also get these two men fighting to protect and stop what is happening.
So I will leave this review with.... I 100% loved this book and would definitely recommend this series!
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
There was so much going on in this story just wow I have no words for how much I loved this book! We find out so much more about Merq and Armise in this and the other characters in this world.
Merq and Armise work together against a enemy while at the same time find out so much more about each other. You get action, violence and angst in this book along with the caring and feelings between these two gritty alpha characters. I love the way these two men are together and how protective they are of each other.
With every book in this series you find out so much more about this world which made me love it more and more. Then there was the children that had been genetically modified who Merq and Armise fight to protect. I felt so bad for them and of course you get the evil man behind everything that you just can't help wishing someone would stop him.
With every book in this series you get so much pain and violence from this war but you also get these two men fighting to protect and stop what is happening.
So I will leave this review with.... I 100% loved this book and would definitely recommend this series!
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
March 29, 2016
Holy shit! Every time I think, it can't get worse, I'm proven wrong! I'm a nervous wreck right now...
Secrets. Far too many secrets. That's what Merq and Armise learn the hard way in the fourth book of the Borders War series. Only if you ask the right questions, you'll get the respective answers. Some secrets are revealed, some remain what they are, at least for the time being.
Not only do they have to fight against their enemies, on top of all that, there's an unknown force in the form of a genetic modification, they yet have to learn the specifics about and which is threatening their life.
Again, Falling, One by One is full of mind-blowing suspense, yet still there are also tender moments between Merq and Armise, where they try to get to know each other better (that's still an issue after all these years) and where Merq has time to come to terms with his feelings for Armise.
A short span of peace. The calm before the storm, before all hell breaks loose. And believe me, that's not for the faint of heart!
May 6, 2016
This book is full of plot twists and we get to discover more of Armise's past but there are not enough questions for discover every thing unknown. I like the pace of the book, there's intrigue, politics, emotion and very graphic violence (specially in the last part of the book). Though i still don't understand Ahriman's motives to do the shit he's doing and why is Merq such an important key for it all, i quite enjoy the book. Also, i think i found a plothole over there but i need to comment it to someone who's reading the series too.
I hope everything unravels in the last book.
I hope everything unravels in the last book.
February 28, 2016
I binged this series and I didn't write a review immediately upon finishing so now I don't exactly remember which events happened in which book. I do know that the author ripped my heart out repeatedly. I do know I was on the edge of my seat. I do know this is one of my favorite series. I do know that you should definitely read this.
September 21, 2021
Second read
I forgot how brutal Ahriman is
So good!
I forgot how brutal Ahriman is
So good!
March 30, 2017
Book 1 an 3 are the best in the series so far. This book is almost as good. The politics is nastily brutal, heavy with intrigue and deception. The narrative keeps me guessing with constant threads of shrewdly executed plot twists. This is an amazing series that carries substance and feircely written depth. The border wars deserves more recognition and should be more well known. It's quality is on par with The Captive Prince.
July 29, 2016
I love this series!
February 16, 2016
OMG OMG OMFG!!!!!! Need book #5! NOW!!!!
May 16, 2018
Every time I think I have a grip on the power politics, interests of the 26th-century factions, and dynamics between the various players in this series, I open the next book only to find out I didn’t have a clue. Fluctuating alliances and more stunning revelations follow with each volume, and it is an amazing feeling to know that S.A. McAuley will twist and turn my perception of what is going on every single time I read one of these novels. I feel like a masochist for putting myself through the pain, except the reward for seeing the developments over the course of this series is beginning to materialize. With four books down and only one more to go, 80 percent of the story arc completed, I would normally believe that the worst was over. Not with this series though, and not with this author. Who knows what she will come up with next?
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
November 29, 2016
I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book and I'm still there at the end of it so I'm going to dive into the next one because I don't want to stay here at the edge of this cliff that the ending has us poised at.
Some parts of this book were so brutal but there were also some beautiful moments between Merq and Armise in this book as they continue to develop their relationship and Merq is coming to appreciate and understand the non physical aspects of it.
Some parts of this book were so brutal but there were also some beautiful moments between Merq and Armise in this book as they continue to develop their relationship and Merq is coming to appreciate and understand the non physical aspects of it.
January 2, 2021
6 'What a series. Intrigue, action, dirty hot as fuck sex, beautiful pure love and heartbreak, fuck this nearly did me in so fucking thankful I have the next one to go straight onto' stars.
March 14, 2021
4.5 Stars! Whoah!!
March 1, 2016
Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®
Merque and Armise are hard men to love. They are men built to kill. They do not talk much, and when they do you don't know if you can fully trust what they say. They know nothing but war and each other. Even if they are sworn enemies. They are not simple men. They do not live in simple times. You can't help but fall in love with these two alpha men.
For Complete Review see http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?p=4...
June 27, 2021
I liked this one much better then the previous installment. Merq finally isn’t a complete a-hole and his personality that we only caught glances of before are finally emerging. Everything felt much more human, even though the casual brutality and moral heaviness that permeate this series is still present. I can’t wait to see the conclusion of this story, even though I have a feeling that not nearly enough questions will be answered. Only the right ones, the ones that really matter, huh?
March 18, 2025
Holy shit. The revelations and the secrets that still exist had me flipping pages faster and faster. I can’t believe everything that happened in this book. I am damn glad that I already have the next book because the cliffhanger the author did is amaze-balls!
February 19, 2016
Release Day... Yes! Can't wait to read this.
January 1, 2017
6 'What a series. Intrigue, action, dirty hot as fuck sex, beautiful pure love and heartbreak, fuck this nearly did me in so fucking thankful I have the next one to go straight onto' stars.
February 13, 2016
Gahhhh!!!!! So many feels!
<3 Merq and Armise <3
And Simion....I adore him!
<3 Merq and Armise <3
And Simion....I adore him!
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