Sadist: A Sapphic Dark Romance

The Triarchy Collection #1

by Chaos Davie

A spicy sapphic dark romance full of murder and feminine rage, with a twist of humour.

Ever wondered what might happen when a sadist meets her match?

Disgraced contract killer Theo inadvertently takes on a hostage when tech mogul William Vanguard tries to extort a powerful underground vigilante network, putting Octavia, his only daughter, in the crosshairs.
But Octavia has a secret. And secrets have a habit of slipping free at the most inopportune moments...

When Octavia and Theo’s worlds collide, who will walk away alive?

SADIST is the first book in the Triarchy Collection—interconnected standalone novels written under C.C. Davie's dark romance pen name, Chaos Davie. This dual POV instalment ends on a HEA.

The Triarchy Collection are all spicy sapphic dark romances and intended for an adult audience. Please see C.C. Davie's website for a comprehensive list of content warnings and read at your own discretion.

Genres: Lesbian, Dark Romance, Dark, Queer, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, LGBT

274 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2025

Reviews

[Rose-Bud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strap up (sorry…in?) team, this baby is one for the dark and dirty 😏

I’ll hold your hand when I tell you this, Sadist is the most delicious of the dark romances I’ve read. Sapphic, spicy, and of course- written with the most feral of characters only befitting of the author.

I had the honour of being a beta for this holy queer gospel of kink, chaos and trauma bonding and let me tell you, the shit I noted in my highlights was FERAL. I will 100% be sharing at a later stage 😂

Sadist not only ticked off all my needs for spice and banter but the plot really fucking plotted, and I’m actually unhealthily obsessed with Theo. Please that woman could punch me in the face and I would beg for more 😭

While my shit doesn’t look the same, I’m always here for the trauma. So…it’s… it’s time… for the clappy hands.
👏🏻 RELATABLE 👏🏻 FUCKING 👏🏻 CHARACTERS 👏🏻

I genuinely really feel like I can connect to the characters. We’re given enough of their mind and heart that we can connect, but not enough that it feels like we’re drowning in their darkness with them. I love Octavia and the mental health representation we see with her, and I love Theo and her obsessive need for control.

I’m so excited to see the next book in the Triarchy Collection, and I feel like Sadist leaves off really well- giving us a hint to where that next book will go.

I’m adding down here that I just finished this baby as an ARC reader, for a re-read and it slaps JUST AS HARD the second time. I’m obsessed.

[Lady Olenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Arc from author.

Sadist by Chaos Davie is a dark romance novel surrounding the characters Octavia and Theo.

The general story was good - with the plot, the twists interspersed with BDMS, blood play and all that fun stuff in the bedroom or gym or kitchen, you get my point.

I think what made me like the story more was the character depth and background history. Trauma bonding is so real and they were both just trying to survive with how they knew how to. It’s not healthy but it works so, yeah.

[gloria .☆ﾟ.]

been a while since a DR got my approval. this one and collateral damage have had some intriguing hype 👁️. synopsis a little corny (dr falls into that often) but here’s to hopin

[Shauna Chisholm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to get this book as an ARC and now I really need the next book!!!! This was a fast paced dark romance with some bdsm, Sharp’s play, and a great plot. I loved the spice, it worked well for my dark little heart! Overall this story truly has me hooked and I can’t wait to read more books from Chaos

[Celeste Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I beta read this** BUT ITS DARK ROMANCE WITH SARCASM, REALLY HOT SPICE, SAPPHIC, AND SATISFYING AF.

You’ll find straps, piercings, brandings, kidnapping, down bad hotties between these pages so y’all better check your CW’s. But holy guac… 😮‍💨

Definitely give this a crack if you have a dark sense of humor with a penitent for sarcasm and you’re also wanting a quicker read with an ending that doesn’t over stay its welcome which will have you chomping at the bit for book two!!

LOVE YOUR WORK CC BABES THANKS FOR THE HONOURABLE MENTION OF KAT BLACKTHORNS BOOK - I consider that a nod to me because I told you to read it hahahaha

[Mel DW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sapphic✅👩‍❤️‍👩
Feral✅🔪
Steamy✅🧖🏼‍♀️
OBSESSED✅🥵
Dark Romance✅💦
Power Play✅💪
Contract Killer Baddie✅🫦
Trigger Warnings✅❌
HOT✅🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Forced Proximity✅😳
Enemies to Lovers✅🐍

I really spoiled myself with signing up to ARC read this one! What a delicious way to get myself out of a reading slump and a hell of a way to slide into Pride Month.
Absolutely check in with your own safety and read the trigger warnings.

I look forward to DEVOURING this naughty little number over and over and over!
I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate this author’s brain! She is one to keep an eye out for!!

[Sapphic Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.

A dark, steamy, and twisty sapphic thriller.

Perfect for fans of Tryst Six Venom, and Lady Venom Takes a Mistress (which gets a fun nod in this book!), as well as Don't Stop Me. Both main characters are compelling—flawed but easy to root for.

Just a heads-up: the story does explore some darker sexual acts, so I highly recommend checking out the author’s content warnings on their website before diving in.

[Dahné "anotherbookchick" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever questioned your sexuality? Because after reading this book you will 🤣

Sexy dark Sapphic Romance with tension plot and plenty of spice scenes! if you're a fan of Dom/sub type sexual relationship you're gonna froth this.

NZ author dark debut and she's smashed it out the park 😈

[Krystina C · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first FF book, Chaos Davie has popped my cherry!

What a fun read this was!

review to come.

[--Keres-- · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be honest—I’ve avoided sapphic romance for a while after reading a few that were so badly executed they completely turned me off. But Sadist? This book flipped that on its head. I went in cautious and came out obsessed. The dynamic, the slow burn, the character work it all hit. It was dark, sharp, and emotionally loaded in the best way. This was exactly what I needed to remind me how powerful a well-done sapphic story can be and foe that it deserves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ flaws and all.

Genre: Saphic Dark Romance/ Psychological Thriller

Tropes
✅ Enemies to Lover
✅ Forced Proximity
✅ Possessive Love Interest
✅ Morally Grey Characters
✅ BDSM/Kink
✅ Power Exchange
✅ Antihero Romance
✅ Trauma Bonding
🔥 Slow burn but oh so worth it

Darkness level : 💀.5

📖 Storyline
After a misstep, Theo a contract killer working under a powerful secret society is punished with a job she sees as beneath her: holding Octavia, the sharp-tongued, bratty daughter of a tech mogul, hostage as leverage for negotiation. Theo is used to being in control, but Octavia is chaos in heels, and nothing about her makes this assignment simple.

What starts as a complication quickly spirals into a twisted slow burn of power, secrets, betrayal, and temptation. As the tension between them builds and the society’s grip tightens around Theo, trust begins to fracture. With shifting loyalties and hidden motives all around them, neither woman knows who they can truly rely on.


👥 Characters
The characters are so well-balanced. Octavia brings chaotic energy and sharp wit, while Theo is calm, dominant, and quietly intense. Their banter is everything fun, fierce, and full of chemistry. The dynamic never feels forced; both protagonists are layered, and their growth is paced beautifully as they push, challenge, and understand each other.


✍️ Writing/Pacing
The pacing was on point—slow where it needed to build tension but never dragging. Chaos Davie’s writing was intense and emotionally charged, with just a few minor hiccups. The characters were written with clear care and control, and their dynamic was handled so well. It was dark, immersive, and gave both leads the space to fully unfold.

💖 What I Loved
What really got me was how raw and well-balanced the characters felt. The brat x dom tension between Theo and Octavia wasn’t just hot—it felt natural and grounded, never over the top or performative. Their dynamic made sense, and it built slowly in a way that kept me completely hooked. The banter was sharp and genuinely fun, breaking up the darker moments without undercutting them. I also loved that the story didn’t soften its characters to make them palatable. Both Theo and Octavia were messy, complex, and unapologetically themselves. This was the sapphic dark romance I’ve been waiting for bold, intense, and emotionally gripping.

Who Would Love This Book
🖤 Dark romance readers who want a sapphic story that doesn’t hold back
🖤 Fans of brat x dom dynamics with actual emotional tension
🖤 Readers who love morally grey characters and power shifts
🖤 Anyone who needs banter, betrayal, and a slow burn that hurts
🖤 Those craving dark themes, secret societies, and dangerous chemistry
🖤 If you're tired of softened sapphic leads and want something feral

[Celina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sweet book reminded me of Holding Fire - Good good stuff. I hate snakes but I love the cover.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[argyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theo had no idea how her most recent job was going to change her life. Theodora works for a company doing what they ask of her, taking people out, solving problems for them. For this job she was asked to kidnap Octavia, the daughter of a horrible man worth a lot of money.
Theo keeps her space very organized & very clean.
Octavia sees this immediately when Theo lets her into her space for a shower. Now Octavia is a sassy little woman so she messes up her bathroom by moving everything.
These two women find themselves drawn to each other despite their arrangement of captor and kidnappy.
This was such a great story, well written, fantastic sapphic book & great characters.

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter into this sapphic novel with a swing, it could be anything considering Theo has an array of WMDs to her arsenal and I may or may not be talking about in bed too 🤭

Octavia, has been kidnapped and kept in a cell but things are not what they seem. We follow Theo and Octavia’s story and the growth of their relationship. This story has twists you don’t see coming, and turns that leave you wanting more. I can’t give you anymore on pain of death and I’m not sure if I want Theo to be the grim reaper 🖤

Needless to say, I enjoyed this read, it was descriptive, and the story well thought out and written. A relatively quick read which I finished in a day.

[Unpopmary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐

[lauraღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Breathe for me,” she murmured, her hand sliding up my chest to wrap around my throat. “Because that’s mine too.”

3.5 stars. Look, I had a good old time with this. For it to be an absolutely perfect read for me, a lot of things would have had to be different, but that doesn't negate the simple enjoyment and engagement that I got out of this. I've read a few dark romances like this before, and I just know that in this type of captor/captive, Stockholm syndrome, morally grey romance, I need slow burn, a lot of character development and plot to be able to really immerse myself in it, really believe in it when these two unlikely characters fall in love. Aaaaaand I knew I wasn't going to get that in a 200 page novella, so I just relaxed and enjoyed the smut. And it was a good time!

Theo is a sadistic contract killer working for an all powerful shadow organisation that she's been attached to for years. Octavia is the wayward daughter of a rich tech mogul, the latest man on the company's shit list. In order to make up for a fuck-up on her last job, Theo is tasked with kidnapping Octavia, so she can be used as leverage. But Octavia isn't the kind of hostage she expected. There are mind games, taunts, snarky banter, and a pretty quick path to insta-lust. I really liked both heroines. While Theo is absolutely in charge, and relishes in it, Octavia finds ways to push her buttons, take back a little control. But only a little. The plot is pretty thin, but interesting enough, with a few twists and turns. There are a few things that I kinda wish had been on screen, (especially when it comes to the revenge and female rage I was promised) but it was still dark and action-packed. I liked the writing well enough, though sometimes it seemed a little stiff and stilted. (Or maybe it just always feels that way to me when people in modern settings seldom use contractions in dialogue.) And there were a couple things here and there that my brain kept snagging on, that didn't really make sense to me. And I really wish those last few chapters had been drawn out more? There could have been so much good tension!

But I was here for the romance, and I ended up really liking it. Like I said, it moved a bit too fast to be perfect for me, but it was still full of chemistry, and darkly sweet. I love when women go feral for each other. Theo is realistically a nightmare but she's also ~dreamy~. So I forgive her. I loved that they ended being kinda domestic, towards the end. The physical connection was intense, but really good. (Even though it was sometimes a bit too much for me. Sometimes you read a kink in a list of content warnings and you're like 'oh sure, that sounds fun' and then it's actually happening on page and you're like WHOA WHOA WHOA.) By the end, they really grew on me as a couple.

And I like the set up for the next book! So I'll be sure to check it out.

Content warnings: kidnapping, dubious consent, piercing, branding, cutting (sexual), past child sexual assault and incest, death, gore

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me chuckling from the get go. Which I have to admit is something I do love with a good dark romance book…humour, especially dark humour.
I straight up read the first 45% of this book in one sitting…that’s rare for me. I have ADHD and it’s a struggle to hold my attention even with the best of books! And a paperback with no audio? Even more impressive. So that alone tells me a lot. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had me hooked and I just kept wanting more! The only reason I didn’t devour the whole thing in one is because I couldn’t keep my eyes open 🤣🤣 so I had to sleep in between!
I really enjoyed it, start to end! I loved the twists, the longing and lusting. Amazing! Highly recommend!

Oh and that spice! Chefs kiss…very well done 👏🏻 🔥

Written in First person with 2x POV’s. Book one in the Triarchy collection. Check Triggers. Dark Romance, Captor/Captive, Sadist/Masochist, Forced Proximity. 5x Spicy Scenes.

[manu · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only complaint is that I wish this was longer! I wanted more of them and I want to curl up and live in their story.

5/5

If I wasn’t at my max gayest 😂 Theo would’ve hurled me over the edge. And Octavia was equally as enjoyable. Not once did I find myself favouring one over the other and annoyed.

[heav (hamilton’s version)]

dnf 63% i just don’t care enough

[Sapphic Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a sapphic dark romance, run—don’t walk—to grab this. It’s fast paced with plenty of steam. I adored Octavia and Theo together. I couldn’t put this book down and finished it in one day.

“Strapped up contract killer” do I really need to say more?

[Sybrenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ I was so sat for this omggg?? A dark sapphic romance where one of the FMC’s get taken as leverage by the other FMC, and GOODNESS GRACIOUS I inhaled every second of it. They are so FINEEEE. LMAO (no but fr) , The burn of the romance was everything and then when the spice hit???? IT HIT. But also the revenge aspect of this with touch her & 💀vibes.. yeaaaah, this ATE. Plus, I didn’t even see that reveal at the end coming and based on that ending, it honestly has me so excited for the next book!!

[Nicole D'cruz (kiwinikilovesreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG WHAT DID I JUST READ!!!! AND WHY DID I LOVE IT SOOOO MUCH!!!

Sadist is book #1 in the Triarchy Collection by Chaos Davie (C. Davie).

This was my first Sapphic dark romance book and I loved Theo and Octavia together!!!

You would think they would hate each other. Theo being the one to kidnap Octavia and Octavia just wanting to find a way to escape. But the more the story unravels Octavia realises Theo is the only one who can help protect her.

YOU GUYS THE SPICE!!! I CANNOT EVEN DEAL!!! You will have to read to find out! SOOO HOT!!! I may never recover lol especially two words - GYM BONDAGE!! That is all.....

Overall, 5 stars from me and cannot wait to see where this series goes next! A little cliffhanger at the end that has me intrigued!

Thanks Chaos Davie and Haus of Fables PR for kindly sending me an arc to read and review. This is my own honest opinion on the book :)

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Haus of Fables for the ARC of this book! Definitely a great read to start pride month!

PhEW! If you're looking for a dark sapphic romance, HELLO! WELCOME! THIS IS FOR YOU!

Despite being short and sweet, this packs a punch. Spice? Check. Trauma bonding? Check. Depth of characters? Check. Daddy issues and general disrespect for authority? CHECKITY CHECK.

This was such a great time--fast paced with nothing feeling like filler, and FMCs who read? And share their smut? What more can you WANT??...did I mention banter and pettiness that I relate to on a cellular level? Because I too would be a brat and mess up someone's bathroom when I know they're a neat freak just to get under their skin a bit. Especially if THAT is my punishment for doing so (iykyk).

I think this is a GREAT book for anyone looking to dip their toes into sapphic dark romance, or is looking to get into something on the darker side without entering pitch black territory.

Definitely will be reading more from this author!

[Melanie Endicott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for selecting me to arc read this. Holy hell! This book is everything! If you support or one of the LGBTQ+, this book is for you! Dark romance with 2 FMC, the spice, the action and the ending??? Oh my! I need answers for the ending, is there going to be a book 2??? Love love love this!!!


Best quote I loved. “You look so pretty in red. Show me how well you can come for me.” Hot damn!!!

[The Savage Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not to suck my own nipple or anything but this is THE BEST sapphic dark romance I have read.
I mean it was a given considering how well Chaos Davie has already proven to tend to this little masochistic reader, but I was still not prepared for just how much I would love Theo and Octavia's story.
The power plays within the forced proximity situation were beyond what I could have asked for👌
Oh how I wish I was as badass as Theo but alas I am more of a brat queen Octavia 😆

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I don’t read a lot of dark romance, but I was encouraged to give it a shot and so I did. And you know, it was pretty good 🤷‍♀️
The banter between the two MCs is so on point. I found myself chuckling at their exchanges and I wasn’t expecting that.
There are a multitude of trigger warnings, so if you too decide to give it a shot, make sure you have a read through of those before diving in.
I’m looking forward to reading book two.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it wrong to love a sadist? Well count me wrong with every praise, rope and brand Chaos Davie is cooking with. I know I crave something different from the light lesbian romances I usually love to read and the darkness Davie brings is pitch black. This great story of a covert agency righting wrongs in the most deviant ways possible grabs me by my throat and applies pressure till my brain lights up like a pinball machine and the relation she builds with her recent kidnap victim. Hot, sexy, rough and just wow. Now I'm going to sit over there and wait for the next book. Please be sure to read all warnings for this book to make sure it's your cup of tea. I recommend this book for sure!

[Mel Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I questioned my sexuality 😂 this was my first sapphic and I loved it!! I loved how I felt their connection from the get go! Not just their sexual chemistry either! They could read each other, they knew how to push each others buttons and it just made their connection/relationship so much better to read! The tension was delish!

The story was also fast paced and kept me engaged the whole time!

I would recommend this to anyone wanting a good spicy read 🤤

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,5⭐

[maela ⭐️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

you know what, hell yeah ?