A Shade of Kiev

by Bella Forrest

My name is Kiev Novalic. I am a vampire, and a murderer.

Having betrayed the trust of my own kind and that of the enemies I sold myself to, I have three days left to live.

I stare at the girl in the cell opposite mine. Mona, she calls herself. A witch born without magic.

She might be my key to freedom, but I should know to stay away.

I should know: some scars are etched too deep to heal.

Genres: Vampires, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Supernatural

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2014

About the author

UPDATE MARCH 11, 2024:

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*** New, updated online store at https://BellaForrest.com

*** New books coming soon

*** Possible Film/TV series coming soon

*** Stay up to date by joining our e-mail list at https://BellaForrest.com/join

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Bella Forrest is a lover of fantasy, romance, action, and mystery infused stories with twists you don’t see coming. She has sold over fifteen million books since her first novel was published in 2012.

Check out her website for a full list of her books: https://BellaForrest.com

Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BellaForrest...

Here's a list of some of Bella's books:

DARKLIGHT

Darklight (Book 1)
Darkthirst (Book 2)
Darkworld (Book 3)
Darkblood (Book 4)
Darktide (Book 5)
Darkbirth (Book 6)
Darkfall (Book 7)
Darkwilds (Book 8)
Darkhunt (Book 9)

A LOVE THAT ENDURES (Trilogy)
A Love that Endures 1
A Love that Endures 2
A Love that Endures 3

HARLEY MERLIN AND THE SECRET COVEN

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)
Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)
Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)
Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)
Finch Merlin and the Djinn's Curse (Book 12)
Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)
Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)
Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)
Finch Merlin and the Blood Tie (Book 16)
Finch Merlin and the Legend of the Luminary
Persie Merlin and Leviathan's Gift (Book 18)
Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere (Book 19)
Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters (Book 20)
Persie Merlin and the Dying Song (Book 21)

THE CHILD THIEF

The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

Hotbloods (Book 1)
Hotbloods (Book 2): Coldbloods
Hotbloods (Book 3): Renegades
Hotbloods (Book 4): Venturers
Hotbloods (Book 5): Traitors
Hotbloods (Book 6): Allies
Hotbloods (Book 7): Invaders
Hotbloods (Book 8): Stargazers

THE GENDER GAME

The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE

Season 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

Books 1 to 7

Season 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

Books 8 to 16

Season 3: The Shade continues with a new hero...

Books 17 to 24

Season 4: A Clan of Novaks

Books 25 to 32

Season 5: A Dawn of Guardians

Books 33 to 41

Season 6: A Gift of Three

Books 42 to 50

Season 7: A Call of Vampires

Books 51 to 59

Season 8: A Voyage of Founders

Books 60 to 68

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

Books 69 to 77

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires
An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)
A Game of Death (Book 79)
A Veil of Dark (Book 80)
A Bringer of Night (Book 81)
A Circle of Nine (Book 82)
A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)
A Memory of Time (Book 84)
A Shard of Soul (Book 85)
A Break of Seals (Book 86)

Season 11: A Shade of Mystery
A Shade of Mystery (Book 87)
An Isle of Mirrors (Book 88)
A Sanctuary of Foes (Book 89)
A Ruler of Clones (Book 90)
A Gate of Light (Book 91)
A Dawn of Worlds (Book 92) ➜ Coming soon!

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Shade of Kiev is book #8 in the A Shade of Vampire series and will also be known as book #1 in the A Shade of Kiev series by Bella Forrest.

We don’t know a lot about Kiev, other than that he is evil. He has done some despicable things. He kidnapped one of Sofia and Derek’s twins. He held Sofia hostage. He tortured and killed Natalie, the love of his life. He has murdered countless humans and vampires alike. This book starts out pretty much where Sofia and Derek’s story ended. Kiev is in prison on the island of The Shade. He has three days until his death. He has given up all hope. He feels like this is a fitting end for all he has done.

Mona is a witch, but she is a witch without magic. She is a slave of Arron, one of the hawks that have taken over The Shade. Everything changes for Mona and Kiev the day she is thrown into the cell across from him.



Mona and Kiev manage to escape the island and using a boat powered by Mona’s pet dolphins which I loved by the way, they escape to an island of misfits of sorts. This island has vampires, werewolves, ogres guarding the gates, and any other creatures that need a safe haven. That just don’t seem to fit in anywhere else. Kiev is determined to be better. So this is a perfect place for a vampire determined to turn over a new leaf and a witch without power.



Mona wants nothing to do with Kiev. We don’t know anything about her but she is very closed off. Her werewolf friend, Saira, though, has a different plan. She gives Kiev the task of becoming Mona’s friend. But Mona does everything she can to keep him at a distance. Eventually, though, he does seem to break down some of her walls in a somewhat unconventional way. And this process seems to have a healing effect on him as well.

“I didn’t know where my boundaries started or ended anymore, but I did know that at that moment, Kiev was my rock. Keeping me anchored in the storm.”



In this book we meet Saira who is sort of a mother figure to everyone on the island, and we meet Matteo, Natalie’s brother. He doesn’t play a huge part at first but ends up being one of those characters that kind of stands out, for me anyway. I really liked him.

The ending was a surprise and of course, a cliff hanger which is a way Bella Forrest loves to end her books. Kiev finally seems to regain a part of himself he thought was lost forever but there is a partial big reveal of some of the secrets Mona has been keeping.

So, I have been a huge fan of this series from the start. Every book received either a four or a five star rating. And the ratings on this one have so far been really high. So I think my failure to really connect with this story might just be within me. Maybe it was just the absence of Sofia and Derek. But I never felt emotionally connected to either the story or the characters. The imagery was beautiful. I could just picture the dolphins leaping through the water pulling Kiev and Mona’s boat. And I was happy each time Kiev seemed to overpower his rage as he took another step towards being a better person (vampire.) Mona didn’t do much for me. So…will I continue the series? I’m not sure. I have read that there will be more of Sofia and Derek’s story so I will definitely continue on with that but I will have to give some consideration as to Kiev’s story.

[Michelle Madow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! ❤️

[[ J o ] · Rating 1 out of 5]

First line: "The beautiful Italian vampire stood by the port, gazing out at the ocean."

Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope.

[Mikayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great shade book. I mean, Bella Forrest set eh bar even higher for herself here and far exceeded my expectations here.

I honestly thought Kiev was going to be the same bad boy, but you see a whole different perspective. I can say now, as weird as it may seem, that I'm actually starting to like Kiev.

I completely fell in love with this book and as I read it, it got better and better.If you loved The Shade Of Vampire, you'll love this more. Can't recommend this highly enough, and can't wait for the next book.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this took a different turn from the original Shade series. This left with Kiev stuck in Aviary, a prisoner. I felt I had missed something though form the Shade books. And this one has a much more fantasy feel.
So we went from vampires and witches and then these hawk people, and now this book has added werewolves and orges! And people ride on and use dolphins for transportation. We meet a lot of pirates too! Overall it felt more fantasy in general than paranormal. I LOVE fantasy but didn't expect it here like I got.
Lots of different and new characters and, to be honest, I am not sure what I think of any of them. Lots of mixed thoughts to decide whom I like and dislike. Even Kiev I am not sure about. Leaning toward like, but boy does he have a temper and control problem to get under control!

[Mummy's Naughty Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm undecided on this. I struggled at to many points but I did like parts. I like Mona and the second pearl scene was nice. I liked the dolphins driving the boat. After reading other reviews I feel like I'm missing something.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiev is a complicated character to be sure. From the series A Shade of Vampire, we know that he has mostly done horrible things but we saw glimpses of kindness…very brief glimpses but they were there.

He was under the Elder’s influence and was conditioned to be cruel or else he would pay for it with torture…physically and mentally.
The last we saw of Kiev was when he let Sofia and her baby escape Aviary, the realm of the Hawks. The Hawks are a not-so-nice group of supernaturals who use humans and vampires to suit their own needs.

This book starts out with Kiev being imprisoned because he let Sofia go. He’s scheduled to be executed within three days but all of the vampires of Aviary are imprisoned, even the loyal vampires. The Hawks and the Elders are at war and due to an impending attack from the Elders, the Hawks have decided to kill all of the vampires so they cannot be used by the Elders as vessels. The Elders are basically invisible beings who cannot do much without a body to do their bidding. They can only possess vampires and once they possess a vampire, they bite humans and turn them into vampires so they can possess them too. The Elders cannot survive away from Cruor, their realm, without a body for very long so when they arrive and cannot find any vampires to possess, they will parish.

A human woman, a favored slave of the leader of the Hawks, passes out blood for a last meal to the vampires who were loyal to him. Kiev is not on that list but he grabs her when she gets close to his cell and tries to drink her blood. She stabs him in the arm with a knife.

In a weird turn of events, Kiev and the same human slave named Mona end up escaping together. As it turns out, Aviary is just a small part of the realm which is covered mostly by oceans.
Mona is a witch with no powers. She was not willing to give up the details to Kiev since she did not trust him even though she is strangely attracted to him. She is able to communicate and control dolphins which she puts bridles on so they can pull her boat.

She agrees to let Kiev ride with her until she can drop him off somewhere safe so she can go on and find the group of pirates that she belongs to.

Kiev really wants redemption now that he is not under the Elder’s control but trouble just follows him. Mona takes him to a small island called The Tavern which is basically full of misfits. He is told that he can stay as long as he works for his keep and doesn’t cause trouble. Unfortunately, a human came up to him and confronted him for something Kiev did a long time ago. How this human found him in another realm or even recognized him was a mystery but they ended up fighting and Kiev ended up almost being executed again. A werewolf named Saira saved him because she though he and Mona were friends and Saira put him on her ship that she happens to co-captain with Matteo Borgia. Now, this is a problem because Kiev killed Matteo’s sister, Natalie, but Matteo seems to not have gotten the news probably because they are in a different realm and the news hasn’t traveled yet.

The crew which is made up of werewolves and vampires takes him to their island which is surrounded by a fence sort of like an old fashioned fort. Saira gives him a secret mission and tells him if he fails, she will kick him off the island. The mission is to become Mona’s friend. Saira thinks Mona needs a friend because, although Mona is friendly, she keeps everyone at a distance and keeps to herself. In fact, Mona has built her house in the middle of the lake on the island and only comes in to get water and supplies once a day.

Kiev tries all kinds of things to become Mona’s friend, including having the island’s only Ogre build her a table. Nothing seems to be working.

I think this was the best book of any of the Bella Forrest books so far. I know this is a spinoff series of A Shade of Vampire series but I liked it better than any of those books.

www.paranormalromanceslut.com

[J.E. Benoit · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But of creatures who inhabit the darkness, there are two types. Those who revel in it, and those who fight to escape it.”

If you read the Shade of Vampire series you’re already familiar with Kiev, the resident bad boy who did some pretty despicable things while under the control of his “father” The Elder. He was Sofia’s captor for much of book 6 and he also did some pretty awful things in book 7 but all throughout you saw glimpses of this other side of him that just wanted to find a place in the light and escape all of the darkness that’s inhabited his life for so long. It was this little glimmer of hope that he had that made me really wish for his redemption and I think that the author did a nice job of it with this book. This book picks up pretty much right after book 7 left off where Kiev, finally out of the grasp of his “father”, is being held in Aviary and is sentenced to death for his betrayal that took place in the last book. It’s here that he meets Mona and his journey to find a new place for himself really begins. While it seems like the path to a fresh start is a clear one, certain things from his past pop up to threaten all of that.

I wasn’t sure what to make of Mona for most of the book, I found her behavior off-putting and confusing and her whole role playing thing was a little odd. I liked how Kiev reacted to it though and his ‘courtship’ of her was cute. Through his actions you really got to see this other side of him but you still got to see him struggle with his darker side. Sometimes it wasn’t always a given as to which side would win out either. I think that made his path to redemption all the more believable. It wasn’t until the last chapter that we really found out what Mona’s motivations were and even that was just a hint. I didn’t expect this to be a cliffhanger, but the way things left off I am definitely curious to see what happens next. Hopefully it won’t be long before the next installment is out!

I liked that this book took place outside of the human realm, it helped to set it apart from the other books in the series and again provided the author the opportunity to build this fantastical land. I love this author’s ability to really set the scene and describe these places so clearly that you can picture it perfectly in your mind. That’s one of the things I loved most about the whole series, you really are swept away to this other place while you are within the pages of the books. This book was no exception, I could clearly picture the island they were on and I loved the addition of the merfolk, ogres and werewolfs. And I loved that they used dolphins and other sea life to power their boats and ships. It added a touch of whimsy to the book.

I thought this was another great offering from this author and I look forward to the next installment that’ll hopefully answer all of the questions that were left open at the end of this one!

[Jennifer Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so don't get me wrong Loved the book I totally recommend anyone to read it I think there is great potential with Kieve, what really got me was Mona I don't know if it was because I knew so much about Kieve since we read about him in the previous books we knew his background where he came from what his past was like but Mona girlfriend got some issues LoL I mean talk about a Cliffhanger when I finished the book I was like Whaaaa??!! So lost and confused I'm like what just happened here it seemed like Bella Forrest was trying to cram a lot of story into the last few pages before she cut us off. So I must admit I'm curious to find out what this chicks problems are and I think the two are cute for one another and now I'm really curious will the shade come into Kieve's story I think it would be great for him to be able to see Sophia and be able to make amends for what he done to her in the past so as I said highly recommend you read the book but really hope the next one is a little less cram in all down my throat and leave me hanging.

[Berrynana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well...this kind of ruined my image of Kiev. I had hoped that this book would answer the oodles of unanswered questions we had about Kiev and his origins, or even just want the hell is going on in his head. It actually brought up more questions, this novel was a huge mystery that never seemed to unravel. It just built and built and then we ended the book with not a single answer.
Not a single one.
Just a whole lot more questions.

I have enjoyed all of the books in this series, I couldn't put them down, even though Sophia was so very annoying. So, if you decide to start this series, maybe ignore this one ;)

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a couple of Bella Forrest novels in the past and really enjoyed them. Unfortunately, "A Shade of Kiev" was a painful read for me. This book definitely had a unique plot; but, that was not enough to save the page after page of dull descriptions and less than inspired dialogue..Additionally, I just wasn't much of a fan of the main character, Kiev.

I will allow others to recap this story line since there seems to be so many who enjoyed this read. However, I for one will not be going on with the series. Read it for yourself and decide.

[Jinx · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew there was something deeper to Kiev! I think that this is a good start to the series, and it helps if you've read the A Shade of Vampire series. In that way you understand Kiev's struggles and his desire to be beyond the Elders control. Mona, on the other hand, we know nothing about her. I cannot say that I understand why she's split personality on these "dates" she has with Kiev and I'm thankful that he doesn't really play into her game. I've just got to trust Bella Forrest to explain things in her own time. Oh Kiev, your human is showing...

[Strawz93 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected

I thought Kiev was going to be the same bad boy. This is a very pleasant change. I don't have any dislikes for this story. The book just got better and I did not stop reading it until , there was no more pages to read. I'm rereading this book . my family members have enjoyed the reading as well.

[anna moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasant Surprise!!

I wasn't sure I was going to like this spin off but after reading A Bond of Blood I felt I needed to read this. If you haven't read this I suggest you read it first then A Bond of Blood so you're not as confused as I was. I absolutely love the fated chemistry between Kiev and Mona!! Buying 2nd book NOW!!!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading about Kiev. But man did she leave you hanging at the end of the book!!!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brings us to how Kiev presented to Mona when the twins found them (in the Shade series).

Mona is a powerless witch who travels with a rag-tag crew of vagabond pirates, although she is repeatedly said to be the most transient. She travels with a pair of dolphins (one of which dies while Kiev is riding it, toward the end of the book). She and Kiev were both being held captive but managed to escape. He uses/works with her to get out of the area and she intends to leave him behind and so she asks him a barrage of questions about love/romance, which he refuses to answer.

Kiev comes face to face with Matteo Borgia, who pretends not to know of his sister's death but it is revealed in the last quarter of the book that he had been acting the whole time. Kiev was tasked by Saira to 'befriend' Mona and in doing so he learns that she is penning a romance novel about Irina and Adrian. She agrees to hang out with Kiev so long as they are 'in character' but Kiev doesn't play Adrian. He finally calls out Mona, after becoming more intimate with her, and she runs away from him and back to her solitary cabin. Before the final 'we're not speaking any more' conversation, they went on a 'date' and when her dolphin died, she had Kiev leave. She stayed out too long and was taken capture by an Ogre ship that wanted their not-so-ogre pal, Brett (the ship captain's son) back (probably to tease or torture). They strung Mona on their mast and Kiev rescued her after blinding/maiming the sharks.

Shortly after, Giles (another vampire in this group) shows Kiev an amulet (that is apparently significant in that it brings back memories of how he became the red-eyed vamp demon he is, including burning villages, killing people, at the hands of the Elders) that got Kiev kicked off the initial "Tavern" island. Both times this was a plant by Matteo. Kiev of course loses his shit and maims the small group of vampires. Matteo uses this opportunity to talk about banishing Kiev but instead takes him to an eastern point and intends to carve the crap out of him and then allow an Aviary (Perseus, who betrayed the Aviary but will take Kiev back there to prove that he is once again loyal). As Matteo is carving Kiev up, Kiev says that he never stopped loving Natalie, even as he was killing her. At that point Matteo breaks down. He was a child of the Elders awhile back so he understands what it's like to be at their bidding. Mona shows up and Perseus, angered that Matteo doesn't want to give Kiev to him, tries to take Mona. Kiev frees Mona and winds up killing Perseus. When they return to the island, Mona runs directly to her cabin and shreds all of the romance novel to pieces. Stating she thought she had skipped the curse of her family but with her dolphin dying out of the blue, she believes this curse is alive and well.

Assuredly we will figure out what this curse is in the next book (but maybe the third book in this side-series).

Oh I forgot to add, after he kills Perseus, Kiev's eyes turn back to emerald.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to hate Kiev but.....

For all the evil that Kiev has inflicted I really wanted to see him as this pure evil vampire. But when you start to see him change and realize that so much of his life was out of his control you start to better understand the pain in which he is forced to live with.

[Jennifer Lovins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Change

Can someone of great evil ever find away to change? Will Kiev forever be controlled by the elder? Sometimes the unexpected can change the way you see life. Emotions will be everywhere. You will hope that this time will be the time that Kiev will get a chance and the will power to change.

[Toni Vincett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad i finally got into this book. I tired a few times to read it but it seems i was never ever able to get into it but i did this time and i loved it l. I love kiev i think he is a really good character.

[Sonja Ferrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Was totally worth it I really liked Kiev so I’m happy to see what happened to him read book 10 of shade of a vampire and felt confused but soon reading this everything is starting to make perfect sense

[Kelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this Kiev better and I like the Kiev and the Mona thing even better. It's a great beginning to their story! Looking forward to reading the other 2 books. :)

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st book of the 3 in this series

Kiev is a vampire from the Elders some of the most evil of all the supernatural ones. His story and of the others he encounters will draw you in.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky, funny and romantic without being too mushy. Not sure if I'll read the next installment but don't mind me

[Jennifer Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Kept me going and wanting more. Now to Book 2.

[Asha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boring, dont think the backstory should have been split into 3 books but I will read the other 2.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. Terribly written. Put down a third of the way through

[gigi deptawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiev is one of my very favorite characters in this series! Complicated past, feels undeserving of love.

[Ur Book Boyfriend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read. Loved the book!

[Shaz X · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the eighth book in this series. Now that Derek and Sofia's journey has come to its conclusion, its continuing onto the life of mysterious and evil Kiev.

If you follow this blog you will know that I absolutely adore this series, and because of this I had high expectations for this book. Unfortunately, this one fell flat. Kiev is a character that is very hard to warm to, and is always warring with his emotions to do the right thing rather than take the easy way out and do the wrong or selfish thing. Mona is his female counterpart, a witch with no magic, is strong and independent, trying to survive amongst vampires, werewolves, ogres, mermaids and other supernatural beings. She's a little cold towards others for good reason, but you know she has a soft spot inside her somewhere and this made her easier to like than Kiev. She saved this story in my opinion.

The story seems to lack the excitement, drama and emotion of the previous books and that's where it has let me down. However, this book feels like just the start of something interesting to come. It left me with the impression that the author is warming us up to the characters before we dive into their adventure.

As for the writing style; I like it and it's easy to follow. It just lacks pace and I was hoping for more action.

Overall, it's not a bad read, just not as good as the previous books in this series. I will continue with the next book as I do adore Bella Forrest's writing, plus I'm interested to see where Kiev and Mona's story goes and whether or not Kiev chooses light over darkness.

3 stars!
Review originally posted on Sharon's Book Nook blog.

[Katelyn Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread February 2019 - Loving his trilogy more the second time around! :)

-------------------------

I didn't read this trilogy in chronological order which is my bad. I wasn't aware it was set in current time with the events of books 8 and then 9 in the regular series. I thought it was about Kiev's past, but all is good. Kiev is a very complicated character and it is hard to figure him out. I was very intrigued when I discovered there was a trilogy just for him. Sure he is a bad person, but a few situations that he showed a sliver of good to Sofia had me intrigued to who he really was. I thought the story was great and thought that Bella did a wonderful job at keeping it interesting because she set the bar pretty high after the rest of the series. I actually found myself finding Mona's story to be more interesting half way through the book. Kiev is someone you feel you will never unravel his whole story, but I just started reading the second book for his trilogy, and it is interesting to see how he started to become who he is today. The first half I was more intrigued for his perspective, but once he started talking to Mona more, the more complex her character seemed. I am looking forward to learning more about these two characters and who they got to where they were in book 9 in the series, since I read them out of order haha. I don't think it will ruin your reading experience if you don't read them in order, but it will give you more of an understanding of how they got to where they are. I am still enjoying them even though I am reading them not in chronological order. I feel as though as long as you read book 9 and then his trilogy or the other way around, the experience will still be the same, just with information presented in a different order.