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The District #2
His Bane: The District, Book 2
He is mine. I don't care how long it takes. I will have Malik Amin.
Sullivan Some people call me a monster. A psychopath. As if I care what others think. So what if I relish in the mayhem of slaughter or enjoy feeling the life blink out of someone? I am who I am. It was Malik who eventually brought me to his home and trained me to hone my skills to work under him as an assassin. Malik Amin is my equal, and he will be mine in all ways as soon as I can chip away at his ridiculous and completely unnecessary self-loathing.
Malik Sully lost everything as a teenager on my order. When I found him covered in blood four years later, I should have put him down, knowing what he was. Instead, I took him in to train him. It works for us until he wants me more than as a mentor. I cannot allow it. But if Sully is anything, he is a master at persuasiveness and discovering my weaknesses.
Sullivan Some people call me a monster. A psychopath. As if I care what others think. So what if I relish in the mayhem of slaughter or enjoy feeling the life blink out of someone? I am who I am. It was Malik who eventually brought me to his home and trained me to hone my skills to work under him as an assassin. Malik Amin is my equal, and he will be mine in all ways as soon as I can chip away at his ridiculous and completely unnecessary self-loathing.
Malik Sully lost everything as a teenager on my order. When I found him covered in blood four years later, I should have put him down, knowing what he was. Instead, I took him in to train him. It works for us until he wants me more than as a mentor. I cannot allow it. But if Sully is anything, he is a master at persuasiveness and discovering my weaknesses.
Audible Audio
Published July 18, 2025
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About the author
Courtney W. Dixon
41 books1,089 followersCourtney W. Dixon loves to write steamy hurt/comfort romance, giving her characters challenges, struggles, and sometimes trauma... Fine, a LOT of trauma. Her team teases her about charging her for their therapy bills after reading one of her books.
She loves to add variety and multiple tropes in her stories along with different types of dynamics/relationships. And she writes her characters as having flaws, imperfections, and who don't always do the right thing. Humans are sometimes frustrating, never perfect, and make a lot of mistakes in their lives. Courtney enjoys pushing her characters, making their HEAs so much more worth it when they get there. Mental health is a big feature in her books.
She loves her coffee ice cream and popcorn a little too much. And her cat, Olly, is her co-writer, where he sleeps on an ottoman under her desk as her muse. Actually, he's rather useless, but he's adorable.
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She loves to add variety and multiple tropes in her stories along with different types of dynamics/relationships. And she writes her characters as having flaws, imperfections, and who don't always do the right thing. Humans are sometimes frustrating, never perfect, and make a lot of mistakes in their lives. Courtney enjoys pushing her characters, making their HEAs so much more worth it when they get there. Mental health is a big feature in her books.
She loves her coffee ice cream and popcorn a little too much. And her cat, Olly, is her co-writer, where he sleeps on an ottoman under her desk as her muse. Actually, he's rather useless, but he's adorable.
Follow Me
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
January 5, 2025
I love a good psycho from time to time in my books, and Sully serrrrrved 👑
Must check TWs before reading (if you have any triggers), because this one is dark.
Super excited for the next book!
Must check TWs before reading (if you have any triggers), because this one is dark.
Super excited for the next book!
August 22, 2025
4.5 stars
February 20, 2024
Oh, this was a marvelous story, the personages were convincing, and the plot was thrilling.
Sully at only sixteen has already been through horrible things, lost everything he loved, been r*ped, and lost again. Steaming rage raced through his blood, he got his revenge, and now he’s on the run.
But not for long, Malik, the cause of his miserable life, found him right away and took him under his wings.
Malik should have ended him but didn’t. He took him to train him, to become an assassin like himself.
Sully had to obey at all times, he got educated and fine-tuned his skills, controlling his anger.
Malik is superior, wealthy always in control, extendedly patient, stoic, and keeps Sully at a distance. The boy has set his mind on him. Sully wants Malik, and Malik will never give in.
Make no mistake, Sully is depraved, a psychopath, and hugely possessive of Malik.
“If you ever want to explore your sexuality with anyone else, I will kill them, and then I will kill you.”
We can follow them for years and years, Malik has a secret and Sully is determined to find out what keeps Malik rigid! Oh boy!
Between jobs, Sully tries to get more from Malik than Malik wants to give. Malik knows when Sully finds out about what he did, Sully will kill him.
“I needed him beyond want.”
What a story, what an intriguing plot. The characters were so well defined, maybe I should warn you, there’s a lot of blood involved, so if you can’t face gore, which is understandable, don’t read this story. But if you’re not averse to blood, do take a chance, because dang it was so good.
It was a strongly written story, the flow was great, the plot plausible and all the threads came coherently together.
I loved these crazy assassins and their obsession with each other.
Great story, can’t wait to read His Reluctant Savior, this coming October!
Sully at only sixteen has already been through horrible things, lost everything he loved, been r*ped, and lost again. Steaming rage raced through his blood, he got his revenge, and now he’s on the run.
But not for long, Malik, the cause of his miserable life, found him right away and took him under his wings.
Malik should have ended him but didn’t. He took him to train him, to become an assassin like himself.
Sully had to obey at all times, he got educated and fine-tuned his skills, controlling his anger.
Malik is superior, wealthy always in control, extendedly patient, stoic, and keeps Sully at a distance. The boy has set his mind on him. Sully wants Malik, and Malik will never give in.
Make no mistake, Sully is depraved, a psychopath, and hugely possessive of Malik.
“If you ever want to explore your sexuality with anyone else, I will kill them, and then I will kill you.”
We can follow them for years and years, Malik has a secret and Sully is determined to find out what keeps Malik rigid! Oh boy!
Between jobs, Sully tries to get more from Malik than Malik wants to give. Malik knows when Sully finds out about what he did, Sully will kill him.
“I needed him beyond want.”
What a story, what an intriguing plot. The characters were so well defined, maybe I should warn you, there’s a lot of blood involved, so if you can’t face gore, which is understandable, don’t read this story. But if you’re not averse to blood, do take a chance, because dang it was so good.
It was a strongly written story, the flow was great, the plot plausible and all the threads came coherently together.
I loved these crazy assassins and their obsession with each other.
Great story, can’t wait to read His Reluctant Savior, this coming October!
February 18, 2024
His Bane is the second book in Courtney W. Dixon’s The District series. It’s a MM dark, slow burn romance, and it could be read as a complete standalone (of course it’s more fun to read the first book in the series). This book is significantly darker than the author’s other works, so please review the content and trigger warnings and always take care of yourself while reading. Here’s what you can expect from Sully and Malik:
- First person dual point of view with a guaranteed happily ever after
- Mentor/student, age gap, and morally grey assassins
- Hate sex, blood play, and consensual sexual mutilation
- Found family
- Forced proximity
- Psychopathy and obsession
- Graphic violence and explicit sexual content
Synopsis: Sullivan ‘Sully’ Beauchamp shows many psychopathic traits, and he’s most at home when he’s torturing people with his beloved blades. His mentor, Malik Amin, has kept Sully under control since he was a teenager. He trained him and put his unique skill set and lack of empathy to a more lucrative use. Sully will stop at nothing and use all his manipulation and charm to get what he wants. And what he wants more than anything is Malik. Malik has enough self-loathing and hatred to last a lifetime, and he blames himself for the trajectory Sully’s life has taken. Will Sully still want Malik when he learns about the secrets he’s been hiding? Can either of them survive it?
I’ve been looking forward to Sully and Malik’s twisted tale since we met them in His Death Bringer. Courtney promised us a dark, tangled, and psychopathic romance and she absolutely did not disappoint. With Sully’s psychopathic nature, I wasn’t completely sure what to expect but this book captivated me from the beginning until the epilogue. Without giving too much away, this book is very different and unique from most of the other books I’ve read. Sully and Malik’s relationship and dynamics are anything but traditional, but it worked for them in a way it wouldn’t work for any other characters. Malik’s self-loathing combined with Sully’s manipulation and persistence was incredibly fascinating to watch. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. We also get their entire backstory from the time that Sully was a child, and I think it’s at about 50 percent of the way through we move to the present day. The backstory, as well as the flashbacks the author infused in the present day story, were vital to understanding how these characters became the men they are today. This story is dark, interlaced, and beautiful. If you’ve read my reviews before, you’ll know I’m a big fan of non-traditional romance stories. Everyone deserves their happily ever after, even if it doesn’t look like what we’ve come to expect. Sully and Malik are perfect examples of this, and in all of their imperfection, they are an extremely memorable couple.
Courtney W. Dixon is an amazing author and her breadth of writing continues to surprise me in the best possible way. If you’re looking for something dark, emotional, and on the unconventional side, you’ll want to check out The District series. And if you loved Dante and Luca from His Death Bringer as much as I did, there are some absolutely lovely Luca cameos that I was completely here for. Seeing Sully and Malik accept Luca into this wild little found family was everything you could want for Dante and Luca’s happily ever after. And make sure you sign up for Courtney’s newsletter for the bonus epilogue. The way that Sully and Malik celebrate Valentine’s Day and Sully’s birthday? The icing on the bloody cake!
I received an ARC of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
- First person dual point of view with a guaranteed happily ever after
- Mentor/student, age gap, and morally grey assassins
- Hate sex, blood play, and consensual sexual mutilation
- Found family
- Forced proximity
- Psychopathy and obsession
- Graphic violence and explicit sexual content
Synopsis: Sullivan ‘Sully’ Beauchamp shows many psychopathic traits, and he’s most at home when he’s torturing people with his beloved blades. His mentor, Malik Amin, has kept Sully under control since he was a teenager. He trained him and put his unique skill set and lack of empathy to a more lucrative use. Sully will stop at nothing and use all his manipulation and charm to get what he wants. And what he wants more than anything is Malik. Malik has enough self-loathing and hatred to last a lifetime, and he blames himself for the trajectory Sully’s life has taken. Will Sully still want Malik when he learns about the secrets he’s been hiding? Can either of them survive it?
Sully slipped some tiny headphones into his ears and turned on his iPod, essentially dismissing me. Clever boy. I smiled and patted his leg before leaving.
I should’ve killed him.
I’ve been looking forward to Sully and Malik’s twisted tale since we met them in His Death Bringer. Courtney promised us a dark, tangled, and psychopathic romance and she absolutely did not disappoint. With Sully’s psychopathic nature, I wasn’t completely sure what to expect but this book captivated me from the beginning until the epilogue. Without giving too much away, this book is very different and unique from most of the other books I’ve read. Sully and Malik’s relationship and dynamics are anything but traditional, but it worked for them in a way it wouldn’t work for any other characters. Malik’s self-loathing combined with Sully’s manipulation and persistence was incredibly fascinating to watch. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. We also get their entire backstory from the time that Sully was a child, and I think it’s at about 50 percent of the way through we move to the present day. The backstory, as well as the flashbacks the author infused in the present day story, were vital to understanding how these characters became the men they are today. This story is dark, interlaced, and beautiful. If you’ve read my reviews before, you’ll know I’m a big fan of non-traditional romance stories. Everyone deserves their happily ever after, even if it doesn’t look like what we’ve come to expect. Sully and Malik are perfect examples of this, and in all of their imperfection, they are an extremely memorable couple.
Courtney W. Dixon is an amazing author and her breadth of writing continues to surprise me in the best possible way. If you’re looking for something dark, emotional, and on the unconventional side, you’ll want to check out The District series. And if you loved Dante and Luca from His Death Bringer as much as I did, there are some absolutely lovely Luca cameos that I was completely here for. Seeing Sully and Malik accept Luca into this wild little found family was everything you could want for Dante and Luca’s happily ever after. And make sure you sign up for Courtney’s newsletter for the bonus epilogue. The way that Sully and Malik celebrate Valentine’s Day and Sully’s birthday? The icing on the bloody cake!
“Don’t you dare leave me, Malik. Don’t you dare break our bond.”
Unfazed by my anger, he ran his hand through my hair and dragged his fingers along my cheek before pressing his hand gently to my face. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Beautiful. There will never be anyone but you. It has only ever been you."
I received an ARC of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 6, 2024
Sully, Sully, Sully! I loved him!
The little psycho that grew into a big psycho!! Right from the start I was sad for him, with his father’s lack of care, to his foster father’s abuse. My poor heart hurt for him. But boy did he be get his revenge!!
I loved how he grew and evolved as a man and a psycho, he learned to understand himself and the people around him which helped him to fit in better with his found family and to evolve his relationship with Malik.
Malik was part of the crew who wanted Sullys father unalive, when things didn’t quite go to plan he took on Sully and tried to raise him the best he could even thought he could see early on he was different. He suffered with his own trauma and it held him captive pretty much all his life. Slowly Sully wore him down and together they navigated a relationship that defiantly wouldn’t work for most people!!
Loved the blood play and the kinks, loved how Sully just don’t take no for an answer!!!
Another great book by Courtney.
🩸Tons of Triggers in this book, please take note of them if you are sensitive to them🩸
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
🩸Mentor/Student
🩸Age Gap
🩸Assassins
🩸Dark Romance
🩸Blood Kink
🩸Hate Sex
🩸Psychopathy
🩸Found Family
🩸Proximity
🩸Obsession
🩸Slow Burn
The little psycho that grew into a big psycho!! Right from the start I was sad for him, with his father’s lack of care, to his foster father’s abuse. My poor heart hurt for him. But boy did he be get his revenge!!
I loved how he grew and evolved as a man and a psycho, he learned to understand himself and the people around him which helped him to fit in better with his found family and to evolve his relationship with Malik.
Malik was part of the crew who wanted Sullys father unalive, when things didn’t quite go to plan he took on Sully and tried to raise him the best he could even thought he could see early on he was different. He suffered with his own trauma and it held him captive pretty much all his life. Slowly Sully wore him down and together they navigated a relationship that defiantly wouldn’t work for most people!!
Loved the blood play and the kinks, loved how Sully just don’t take no for an answer!!!
Another great book by Courtney.
🩸Tons of Triggers in this book, please take note of them if you are sensitive to them🩸
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
🩸Mentor/Student
🩸Age Gap
🩸Assassins
🩸Dark Romance
🩸Blood Kink
🩸Hate Sex
🩸Psychopathy
🩸Found Family
🩸Proximity
🩸Obsession
🩸Slow Burn
February 29, 2024
I love me a good dark story, so this one called to me. Definitely heed the trigger warnings on this. Ms. Dixon explains how the timeline will play out so we already have an understanding of a number of aspects.
Basically, Malik is an assassin for hire that was involved in organizing a hit on 12 year old Sully’s father. Against Malik’s orders, the assassin takes out Sully’s entire family thinking Sully was out as well. Malik, seeking to clean up loose ends, finds he was still alive and decides to help keep Sully safe against those who wanted the initial hit on his father.
Unfortunately, the foster family Sully ends up with is not good and leads to a lot of Sully’s abuse and turmoil and also helps shape his destiny. Events occur that require Malik to step in again, and this time, he takes Sully under his wing with plans to finish his education and to train and hone his skills. There is a big age gap with these guys, but Sully immediately claims Malik as his.
There are deep issues where Malik is concerned that add to his resolve at keeping Sully at bay, and he holds him off for a very long time. But, Sully is nothing if not persistent and his patience and pushing eventually pay off, although this takes place over years.
The other aspect to this is Sully’s psychopathy which was very interesting to learn about his feelings, or lack thereof, his own understanding of them, Malik’s understanding of them and the situation, and how they all play a factor into things. Suffice to say, as Sully well knows, Malik is one of the only people who understands and gets Sully.
This story is gruesome at times. There is quite a bit of blood involved, including the killing and torture of targets, how Sully acts with it all, as well as his and Malik’s “kinks”. I loved the power dynamics and shifts as this story unfolded. Ms. Dixon did a great job of creating extremely flawed characters and making them likeable and endearing. I was engrossed and quickly turning pages not wanting to put it down. There is an additional free Valentine’s story that I had to jump right into and it didn’t disappoint either. I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author.
As an aside, this story states it can be read on its own, and I agree with that. The first story apparently takes place during the timeframe that exists within this story, and I’ll definitely be going back to read that one.
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
February 28, 2024
Sully and Malik 😈
4.5 Stars ⭐️
I'm going to be very vague in reviewing this storyline, I'm absolutely gobsmacked right now on how Courtney W Dixon took such a dark read and managed a freaking love story out of it!!! WHAT??? It was insanely depraved and downright devious, I almost felt guilty for loving it so much....notice how I said almost? Because I ate up every page and I don't feel guilty for falling in love with these two and their toxic love. I strongly suggest the triggers be read because this was far from easy in terms of subject matter right down to the sex scenes which were 🔥. I would 100% recommend but be warned this is not for the faint of heart because you are not getting warm and fluffy, you are getting extremely dark and oh so delicious.
* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *
4.5 Stars ⭐️
I'm going to be very vague in reviewing this storyline, I'm absolutely gobsmacked right now on how Courtney W Dixon took such a dark read and managed a freaking love story out of it!!! WHAT??? It was insanely depraved and downright devious, I almost felt guilty for loving it so much....notice how I said almost? Because I ate up every page and I don't feel guilty for falling in love with these two and their toxic love. I strongly suggest the triggers be read because this was far from easy in terms of subject matter right down to the sex scenes which were 🔥. I would 100% recommend but be warned this is not for the faint of heart because you are not getting warm and fluffy, you are getting extremely dark and oh so delicious.
* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *
February 26, 2024
I realized it really late but I read the first book and I didn’t like it. So obviously I couldn’t remember these characters from the first book. I have no idea why everyone likes this book.
I feel like Martin didn’t have to die. And honestly I love these overly insane couples but this one did nothing for me. Malik dragged this out for 13 fucking years. Wtf. No this wasn’t good enough. I pitied sully bc Malik was an asshole to him. Silly should have attempted to kill himself. That would have been better than the actual ‚punishment‘.
The author said in the afterword that she loved this scene. I didn’t.
Think this series is not for me.
Not recommended.
I feel like Martin didn’t have to die. And honestly I love these overly insane couples but this one did nothing for me. Malik dragged this out for 13 fucking years. Wtf. No this wasn’t good enough. I pitied sully bc Malik was an asshole to him. Silly should have attempted to kill himself. That would have been better than the actual ‚punishment‘.
The author said in the afterword that she loved this scene. I didn’t.
Think this series is not for me.
Not recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2024
Is "His Bane" by Courtney W. Dixon for the faint of heart? No. God, no. But if you check the trigger warnings and don't have hemophobia (fear of blood), I highly recommend giving this book a try.
Sully Beauchamp never had a chance at being normal. He was abused as a child and then experienced one of the greatest tragedies anyone could imagine. His misfortune continues through his teenage years, leaving him a shell of a human being. And it's almost all thanks to one man: Malik Amin. Malik’s life is also marred by death and evil, but through the years he's found a way to channel his tragedies into something...lucrative. When Malik finds Sully covered in blood, he finds out just how far gone his soul is. Guilt kicks in and he takes Sully on as an apprentice. As the years go by Sully’s desire for Malik grows. But Malik is hiding something. A secret so damning that he refuses Sully despite his eventual attraction. What happens when he finally gives in and lets Sully have his way? And what would the psychopath do if he found out Malik’s darkest secret?
I was lucky enough to beta read this book and absolutely loved it. Sully is a psychopath. Malik is deeply entrenched in his guilt. Keep these things in mind as you read through their relationship over the years. The entire book flows smoothly from the heartbreaking detailed backstories to the present day. It's one of the most unique "love" stories I've ever read and I could not put it down.
And the spicy scenes. How do I say this without spoiling anything...? They are like nothing you've seen before. The tension. The violence. The absolute possession of each other's bodies. Oh my god.
Read the trigger warnings, as this book has many pitch-black dark moments. Prepare yourself, and then read this book. 🩸🗡🔥
Sully Beauchamp never had a chance at being normal. He was abused as a child and then experienced one of the greatest tragedies anyone could imagine. His misfortune continues through his teenage years, leaving him a shell of a human being. And it's almost all thanks to one man: Malik Amin. Malik’s life is also marred by death and evil, but through the years he's found a way to channel his tragedies into something...lucrative. When Malik finds Sully covered in blood, he finds out just how far gone his soul is. Guilt kicks in and he takes Sully on as an apprentice. As the years go by Sully’s desire for Malik grows. But Malik is hiding something. A secret so damning that he refuses Sully despite his eventual attraction. What happens when he finally gives in and lets Sully have his way? And what would the psychopath do if he found out Malik’s darkest secret?
I was lucky enough to beta read this book and absolutely loved it. Sully is a psychopath. Malik is deeply entrenched in his guilt. Keep these things in mind as you read through their relationship over the years. The entire book flows smoothly from the heartbreaking detailed backstories to the present day. It's one of the most unique "love" stories I've ever read and I could not put it down.
And the spicy scenes. How do I say this without spoiling anything...? They are like nothing you've seen before. The tension. The violence. The absolute possession of each other's bodies. Oh my god.
Read the trigger warnings, as this book has many pitch-black dark moments. Prepare yourself, and then read this book. 🩸🗡🔥
February 23, 2024
ARC Review
🩸🔪His Bane🔪🩸
Available today!
I LOVEDDDD the way this book was written. It was such a different vibe from His Death Bringer (which I’m still obsessed with), but it was necessary for this set of characters. Sully and Malik are intense, dark and complicated men, so it was only natural for CWD to take a deep dive. And boy did we dive deep 🖤. The layers are endless between the 2 of these guys.
'𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 ☠️ 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘴𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘐 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭.'
Sully is such a sweet psychopath. You can’t help but love him and want all his needs to be met. His history has you being his biggest cheerleader, regardless of how disturbing he can get. The most important thing we’re cheering on is for Sully to finally make Malik his. In order for this to happen though, truths need to be discussed. But once everyone shows their cards, will their connection be strong enough to overcome it all???
I know CWD has pointed out that this is a slow burn, but I honestly couldn’t even tell 😆. The story is just way too good to get caught up on the spice timeline, which is huge for me to say.
🖤 Age gap
🖤 Dark MM
🖤 Hot assassins
🖤 Touch him and ☠️
🖤 Blood kink
🖤 Found family
🖤 Intense love for disco 😂
🩸🔪His Bane🔪🩸
Available today!
I LOVEDDDD the way this book was written. It was such a different vibe from His Death Bringer (which I’m still obsessed with), but it was necessary for this set of characters. Sully and Malik are intense, dark and complicated men, so it was only natural for CWD to take a deep dive. And boy did we dive deep 🖤. The layers are endless between the 2 of these guys.
'𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 ☠️ 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘴𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘐 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭.'
Sully is such a sweet psychopath. You can’t help but love him and want all his needs to be met. His history has you being his biggest cheerleader, regardless of how disturbing he can get. The most important thing we’re cheering on is for Sully to finally make Malik his. In order for this to happen though, truths need to be discussed. But once everyone shows their cards, will their connection be strong enough to overcome it all???
I know CWD has pointed out that this is a slow burn, but I honestly couldn’t even tell 😆. The story is just way too good to get caught up on the spice timeline, which is huge for me to say.
🖤 Age gap
🖤 Dark MM
🖤 Hot assassins
🖤 Touch him and ☠️
🖤 Blood kink
🖤 Found family
🖤 Intense love for disco 😂
July 10, 2025
man…….sully should’ve killed him.
i get it’s not really his fault but it is at the same time. malik should’ve just told him the truth because that means he literally groomed him to be obsessed with him so when the truth came out he knew sully wouldn’t be able to kill him.
again….three weeks later is not an epilogue and obviously if sid is in hiding it’s for good reason everyone just writing it off as betrayal like damn hear him out first goodness. i’m looking at you sully!
i get it’s not really his fault but it is at the same time. malik should’ve just told him the truth because that means he literally groomed him to be obsessed with him so when the truth came out he knew sully wouldn’t be able to kill him.
again….three weeks later is not an epilogue and obviously if sid is in hiding it’s for good reason everyone just writing it off as betrayal like damn hear him out first goodness. i’m looking at you sully!
July 28, 2025
Sully Sully Sully, my heart hurts for you, you can unalive the whole damn world if it would bring you a little peace.
Malik, you took it do well old man! Again my heart hurts for you.
Now that 🩸🩸🔪🔪 scene was EVERYTHING!
Malik, you took it do well old man! Again my heart hurts for you.
Now that 🩸🩸🔪🔪 scene was EVERYTHING!
February 25, 2024
4.5 stars. Please, check the TW. There are sensitive themes in the book.
March 4, 2024
This isn't your usual romance but it's so good and worth the read. Malik and Sully were so good and had hot moments. The chemistry was great and it was well written
March 20, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
Courtney W. Dixon is 100% one of my auto-click authors and boy, oh boy, I have been waiting for this book for what seems like forever! Our MCs, Malik and Sully, were introduced to us in book one as the “unhinged” one and the “stoic” one.. true opposites attract! This book was so high on the angst I thought I was going to explode.. and the timeline? You really get a start to finish with one, folks.
It is no surprise that I love Dixon’s writing. It’s almost hypnotizing to read.. as in I start a book and I don’t realize it’s another day until I finish. It’s just that good. The District world that Dixon has created is dark dark dark but this book was a smidge darker than book 1… I mean Sully is into intense bl00d play and both he and Malik have very troubled pasts.
These two are true opposites attract, sprinkled with age gap, unalive for hire, possessive and obsessive mentalities, “I will have you my way or the highway” energy, and fierce loyalty and protectiveness. It has everything you want in a dark MM romance.. with the HEA to match! Dixon does it again folks.
🌶️🌶️
Courtney W. Dixon is 100% one of my auto-click authors and boy, oh boy, I have been waiting for this book for what seems like forever! Our MCs, Malik and Sully, were introduced to us in book one as the “unhinged” one and the “stoic” one.. true opposites attract! This book was so high on the angst I thought I was going to explode.. and the timeline? You really get a start to finish with one, folks.
It is no surprise that I love Dixon’s writing. It’s almost hypnotizing to read.. as in I start a book and I don’t realize it’s another day until I finish. It’s just that good. The District world that Dixon has created is dark dark dark but this book was a smidge darker than book 1… I mean Sully is into intense bl00d play and both he and Malik have very troubled pasts.
These two are true opposites attract, sprinkled with age gap, unalive for hire, possessive and obsessive mentalities, “I will have you my way or the highway” energy, and fierce loyalty and protectiveness. It has everything you want in a dark MM romance.. with the HEA to match! Dixon does it again folks.
March 24, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
This was daaaarrrrrkkkk. Hard to read at some points. Malik and Sully have a tragic beginning. Malik is 20+ years older than sully and meet when Sullys entire family is murdered when he was only 11 from a hit Malik was contracted for. The hitman went rogue and instead of killing Sullys abusive father only, he murdered Sullys mother and twin toddler siblings and tried to kill him as well. Sully survived so Malik tracks him down to figure out if he can identify his killer and he has to kill him. Malik decides to let him live and kills the contract killer for disobeying orders. He keeps tabs on Sully over the years. He goes to multiple foster homes until he ends at one with a bunch of boys. There he has a friend named Martin who has a stutter and is bullied but is so kind and full of light that he reminds Sully of his twin siblings and he makes it his mission to keep him safe. When the foster dad starts raping the boys, sully offers himself so he never touches Martin. He is brutally raped for years, over a 100 times until one night the foster dad takes Martin and while raping him, accidentally kills him via suffocation. Something inside Silly snaps and he kills the foster dad by cutting off his dick and shoving it in his mouth. The other boys give him a head start on running from the police but Malik finds him first and offers to bring him back to his house - a place no other person has ever been- on the promise he will train him to be a killer and give him structure and a job. He will be safe and learn skills he will never get elsewhere. Sully is a psychopath but a genius and he agrees. They spend years training and Sully develops intense feelings of ownership and desire from Malik but Malik always shuts him down. First it was because he was too young but we learn it’s because Malik had a friend when he was in Syria that he had feelings for as a child and when they kissed, the boys dad caught him and murdered him for it and his own father beat him regularly afterward as punishment so he feels an immense guilt and vowed to never act on his desires again. He is literally a 36 year old virgin because of it. Sully pushes him relentlessly and finally catches him on the one night a year (anniversary of his friends death) where Malik drinks himself to mask his guilt and is vulnerable. They finally have sex and Malik takes him but when it’s over, Malik says it’s a one time thing. This enrages Sully and they fight but Sully won’t let it go. Eventually they continue to have sex very sparingly and have no other affection towards the other. This lasts for 17 YEARS!!!!! Eventually they both want more but Sully doesn’t know how to give it to Malik and Malik craves more affection. He also recognizes he loves Sully but doesn’t think Sully is capable of those feelings. They develop the District together and work together and own each other in every way but navigating these new desires is hard for them both. Especially because Malik is hiding the fact that he was responsible for Sullys family’s death and his subsequent torture at the hands of his foster father. When there’s a hit on Malik for killing the murderer 2 decades prior, sully finds out the truth and almost kills Malik but can’t do it. He needs him too much. With all the secrets out, they are able to let go of a lot of anger.
One thing that was hard is that sully is into pain with his pleasure so there is a lot of cutting each other - sully loves to wear the scars that Malik gives him but boy was it hard to read sometimes.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
This was daaaarrrrrkkkk. Hard to read at some points. Malik and Sully have a tragic beginning. Malik is 20+ years older than sully and meet when Sullys entire family is murdered when he was only 11 from a hit Malik was contracted for. The hitman went rogue and instead of killing Sullys abusive father only, he murdered Sullys mother and twin toddler siblings and tried to kill him as well. Sully survived so Malik tracks him down to figure out if he can identify his killer and he has to kill him. Malik decides to let him live and kills the contract killer for disobeying orders. He keeps tabs on Sully over the years. He goes to multiple foster homes until he ends at one with a bunch of boys. There he has a friend named Martin who has a stutter and is bullied but is so kind and full of light that he reminds Sully of his twin siblings and he makes it his mission to keep him safe. When the foster dad starts raping the boys, sully offers himself so he never touches Martin. He is brutally raped for years, over a 100 times until one night the foster dad takes Martin and while raping him, accidentally kills him via suffocation. Something inside Silly snaps and he kills the foster dad by cutting off his dick and shoving it in his mouth. The other boys give him a head start on running from the police but Malik finds him first and offers to bring him back to his house - a place no other person has ever been- on the promise he will train him to be a killer and give him structure and a job. He will be safe and learn skills he will never get elsewhere. Sully is a psychopath but a genius and he agrees. They spend years training and Sully develops intense feelings of ownership and desire from Malik but Malik always shuts him down. First it was because he was too young but we learn it’s because Malik had a friend when he was in Syria that he had feelings for as a child and when they kissed, the boys dad caught him and murdered him for it and his own father beat him regularly afterward as punishment so he feels an immense guilt and vowed to never act on his desires again. He is literally a 36 year old virgin because of it. Sully pushes him relentlessly and finally catches him on the one night a year (anniversary of his friends death) where Malik drinks himself to mask his guilt and is vulnerable. They finally have sex and Malik takes him but when it’s over, Malik says it’s a one time thing. This enrages Sully and they fight but Sully won’t let it go. Eventually they continue to have sex very sparingly and have no other affection towards the other. This lasts for 17 YEARS!!!!! Eventually they both want more but Sully doesn’t know how to give it to Malik and Malik craves more affection. He also recognizes he loves Sully but doesn’t think Sully is capable of those feelings. They develop the District together and work together and own each other in every way but navigating these new desires is hard for them both. Especially because Malik is hiding the fact that he was responsible for Sullys family’s death and his subsequent torture at the hands of his foster father. When there’s a hit on Malik for killing the murderer 2 decades prior, sully finds out the truth and almost kills Malik but can’t do it. He needs him too much. With all the secrets out, they are able to let go of a lot of anger.
One thing that was hard is that sully is into pain with his pleasure so there is a lot of cutting each other - sully loves to wear the scars that Malik gives him but boy was it hard to read sometimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2024
Takes martyrdom past honoring someone into self-indulgence.
This book has elements that should have made it a love-fest for me. Wicked, unapologetic psychotic hero. Complex difficult pasts. Assassins. Mentor-mentee forbidden/taboo feel. Age gap. All my jam. So why didn’t it work for me? I have read and enjoyed other books by this author and been moved by them.
This one felt forced. It tried to convince the reader too hard. The writing felt labored. And there was too much Telling over Showing/making me really feel emotion, and so it fell flat. This author is talented and has a lot to offer, but I just didn’t connect to this one.
What I enjoyed:
Sully! His bullheaded determination to make people “his,” in the past and present, despite not experiencing emotions in a typical way. The way he stood up for anyone he claimed. His fearless embracing of himself, his proclivities, his enjoyment of taboo things. It made him a terrific assassin, if twisted, and I liked being along for his ride. This guy made no apologies for being himself and going after what was important to him. And in a book, I love a good murder-y hero with a twisted but strong moral code.
The mentor-mentee dynamic of an older assassin training a younger one. Fun! And Sully embracing his assassin side. And in the second half, Sully truly trying to learn about and navigate emotions to give Malik what he needs. Adorable.
Sid Virgil, the business partner who helps build the new company and also sets off Sully’s jealous and possessiveness around Malik in a fun way. Loved it. And I want to read about him.
What didn’t work for me:
Malik. This hero took wet-blanketness and martyrdom to self-indulgent levels. I think this is part of why the book felt so labored to me. His way of “honoring” the past didn’t feel like honoring but rather indulging himself in a near lifelong pity party that became so annoying, I didn’t care anymore. If he really wanted to honor the thing he lost, he should have honored the gift life gave him in Sully. But no, he had to keep beating dead horses beyond death and into pointlessness. He needed therapy hardcore.
It made me realize that martyr heroes don’t work for me when they deliberately choose martyrdom. It works only when they’re sacrificing themselves to protect or save someone they love. Not when they choose to wear the horsehair shirt or self-flagellate in an effort to punish themself. It quickly got dreary and old. And felt selfish and stale. At one point Sully calls it “pathetic self-hatred,” and he nailed it.
Sully putting up with it for all those years? C’mon. I stopped rooting for them after the second time and kind of hoped he’d move on, even though I hate reading that kind of story. Malik needed a major kick in the rear. I also didn’t believe Sully would be upset/act against Malik when he learned the full truth of the past. That felt contrived.
I also got desensitized to the trauma/horrible way Sully lived in foster care before connecting with Malik because it was mentioned and mentioned and MENTIONED to the point of desensitization. We get it. The focus on it leaned into trauma porn and could have been edited for better effect. And I didn’t believe Sully would have put up with it for long, especially not as long as he did; that seemed out of character, as did the event that finally activated him. It wasn’t credible.
I wound up skimming the second half because it was exhausting to get to the midpoint, and if Malik hadn’t had sense knocked into him for 13 years, nothing was going to be cool enough to make me believe it would wake him up and stop him from denying them both. Sully had to do all the work, poor guy. Malik was lucky Sully is obsessive-possessive. The second half reads like a lot of forced setup for other heroes’ stories.
HEA, assassins, psychopathic hero, age-gap, mentor-mentee, hurt-sort-of-comfort. No cheating or emotional cheating. Not recommended, but not…not recommended? The style may suit you, so if you like these themes, give the book a chance!
My thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the complimentary copy. This opinion is all my own. And I will read the author again.
This book has elements that should have made it a love-fest for me. Wicked, unapologetic psychotic hero. Complex difficult pasts. Assassins. Mentor-mentee forbidden/taboo feel. Age gap. All my jam. So why didn’t it work for me? I have read and enjoyed other books by this author and been moved by them.
This one felt forced. It tried to convince the reader too hard. The writing felt labored. And there was too much Telling over Showing/making me really feel emotion, and so it fell flat. This author is talented and has a lot to offer, but I just didn’t connect to this one.
What I enjoyed:
Sully! His bullheaded determination to make people “his,” in the past and present, despite not experiencing emotions in a typical way. The way he stood up for anyone he claimed. His fearless embracing of himself, his proclivities, his enjoyment of taboo things. It made him a terrific assassin, if twisted, and I liked being along for his ride. This guy made no apologies for being himself and going after what was important to him. And in a book, I love a good murder-y hero with a twisted but strong moral code.
The mentor-mentee dynamic of an older assassin training a younger one. Fun! And Sully embracing his assassin side. And in the second half, Sully truly trying to learn about and navigate emotions to give Malik what he needs. Adorable.
Sid Virgil, the business partner who helps build the new company and also sets off Sully’s jealous and possessiveness around Malik in a fun way. Loved it. And I want to read about him.
What didn’t work for me:
Malik. This hero took wet-blanketness and martyrdom to self-indulgent levels. I think this is part of why the book felt so labored to me. His way of “honoring” the past didn’t feel like honoring but rather indulging himself in a near lifelong pity party that became so annoying, I didn’t care anymore. If he really wanted to honor the thing he lost, he should have honored the gift life gave him in Sully. But no, he had to keep beating dead horses beyond death and into pointlessness. He needed therapy hardcore.
It made me realize that martyr heroes don’t work for me when they deliberately choose martyrdom. It works only when they’re sacrificing themselves to protect or save someone they love. Not when they choose to wear the horsehair shirt or self-flagellate in an effort to punish themself. It quickly got dreary and old. And felt selfish and stale. At one point Sully calls it “pathetic self-hatred,” and he nailed it.
Sully putting up with it for all those years? C’mon. I stopped rooting for them after the second time and kind of hoped he’d move on, even though I hate reading that kind of story. Malik needed a major kick in the rear. I also didn’t believe Sully would be upset/act against Malik when he learned the full truth of the past. That felt contrived.
I also got desensitized to the trauma/horrible way Sully lived in foster care before connecting with Malik because it was mentioned and mentioned and MENTIONED to the point of desensitization. We get it. The focus on it leaned into trauma porn and could have been edited for better effect. And I didn’t believe Sully would have put up with it for long, especially not as long as he did; that seemed out of character, as did the event that finally activated him. It wasn’t credible.
I wound up skimming the second half because it was exhausting to get to the midpoint, and if Malik hadn’t had sense knocked into him for 13 years, nothing was going to be cool enough to make me believe it would wake him up and stop him from denying them both. Sully had to do all the work, poor guy. Malik was lucky Sully is obsessive-possessive. The second half reads like a lot of forced setup for other heroes’ stories.
HEA, assassins, psychopathic hero, age-gap, mentor-mentee, hurt-sort-of-comfort. No cheating or emotional cheating. Not recommended, but not…not recommended? The style may suit you, so if you like these themes, give the book a chance!
My thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the complimentary copy. This opinion is all my own. And I will read the author again.
February 16, 2025
"We were only here because Sully had shattered my carefully constructed walls. In reality, he owned me." - Malik
"I tried to love him. Maybe I did, but I didn’t know what it felt like to love someone." - Sully
In this second book in The serie, Malik and Sid started "District." This book has time jumps and in the first book of the serie 'His Death Bringer' this company already exists.
There is a lot of manipulation from both sides, pushing each other and a lot of self-hate from Malik. They just used each other over and over again. There is an age gap that's nearly 20 years. Malik takes Sully in when Sully is 16 years old. Sully has always wanted Malik (from very early in the book) and he got what he wanted a few years later on a night that Malik was very vulnerable. It was on a day that (a few decades age) was very traumatizing for Malik and every year on that day, it all comes back to him. Malik feels guilty and he feels like he doesn't deserve love or to enjoy himself because of what happened, and of course because of the betrayal part of this book. They are together (together = spicy time) every year on that exact day, that is the only day Malik allowed himself to be with Sully. For a VERY long time.
I really tried to love this book but the lack of talking and understanding (how can you understand each other if you don't try to talk?) annoyed me a lot. They just wasted all those years because they thought that they knew what the other wanted and needed. I understand that talking is difficult but they didn't even try to just expected the other to know, especially Malik. In my opinion Malik didn't give Sully a way to form connections with other people because he wanted to protect him but in reality maybe it was just so that Sully only had Malik to turn to (Malik did this from the start! Since that Sully was 16 years).
Malik: “I’m not denying you. I’m denying myself. You know this.”
Sully: “No, you deny me by denying yourself. We both want this.”
It isn't weird that Sully wanted Malik since basically the start of living with him, he never formed a healthy relationship with an adult and was never treated with respect. Sully is a psychopath and he manipulates people, yes but how can he be better or try to be better, if he had never seen a healthy relationship between people?? People have always failed him. He was trying but I feel like Malik couldn't look further then the fact that Sully is a psychopath. Malik was hurting for so long and he made it everyone's problem.
3 stars, because the lack of communication was getting annoying and it took so long for Malik to say that he wanted (for example) cuddles while he has been the one that always said that it was just spicy time. How could Sully possibly know that things were different IF THEY DON'T TALK. It felt a bit boring and was dragging at times but this is Sully and Malik’s story and there were also parts that I did enjoy. Sully deserves better and I definitely liked him more, it's not his fault that the situations he was in, made him this way. Malik constantly reminded Sully of a person that Sully couldn't keep safe in conversations to make sure that Sully still had "empathy" and doesn't see that it is cruel and hurtful? But it is okay that Malik doesn't want to talk about his traumas?? That is just very weird to me. Sully is constantly reminded of that person even without Malik to bring it up. Malik his way of treating Sully was the biggest reason why I couldn't give it more than 3 stars.
The District is a dark romance serie where queer people are hired to take out bad people, they make the world a little bit safer in their own way. Along the way they found their family in each other.
"I tried to love him. Maybe I did, but I didn’t know what it felt like to love someone." - Sully
In this second book in The serie, Malik and Sid started "District." This book has time jumps and in the first book of the serie 'His Death Bringer' this company already exists.
There is a lot of manipulation from both sides, pushing each other and a lot of self-hate from Malik. They just used each other over and over again. There is an age gap that's nearly 20 years. Malik takes Sully in when Sully is 16 years old. Sully has always wanted Malik (from very early in the book) and he got what he wanted a few years later on a night that Malik was very vulnerable. It was on a day that (a few decades age) was very traumatizing for Malik and every year on that day, it all comes back to him. Malik feels guilty and he feels like he doesn't deserve love or to enjoy himself because of what happened, and of course because of the betrayal part of this book. They are together (together = spicy time) every year on that exact day, that is the only day Malik allowed himself to be with Sully. For a VERY long time.
I really tried to love this book but the lack of talking and understanding (how can you understand each other if you don't try to talk?) annoyed me a lot. They just wasted all those years because they thought that they knew what the other wanted and needed. I understand that talking is difficult but they didn't even try to just expected the other to know, especially Malik. In my opinion Malik didn't give Sully a way to form connections with other people because he wanted to protect him but in reality maybe it was just so that Sully only had Malik to turn to (Malik did this from the start! Since that Sully was 16 years).
Malik: “I’m not denying you. I’m denying myself. You know this.”
Sully: “No, you deny me by denying yourself. We both want this.”
It isn't weird that Sully wanted Malik since basically the start of living with him, he never formed a healthy relationship with an adult and was never treated with respect. Sully is a psychopath and he manipulates people, yes but how can he be better or try to be better, if he had never seen a healthy relationship between people?? People have always failed him. He was trying but I feel like Malik couldn't look further then the fact that Sully is a psychopath. Malik was hurting for so long and he made it everyone's problem.
3 stars, because the lack of communication was getting annoying and it took so long for Malik to say that he wanted (for example) cuddles while he has been the one that always said that it was just spicy time. How could Sully possibly know that things were different IF THEY DON'T TALK. It felt a bit boring and was dragging at times but this is Sully and Malik’s story and there were also parts that I did enjoy. Sully deserves better and I definitely liked him more, it's not his fault that the situations he was in, made him this way. Malik constantly reminded Sully of a person that Sully couldn't keep safe in conversations to make sure that Sully still had "empathy" and doesn't see that it is cruel and hurtful? But it is okay that Malik doesn't want to talk about his traumas?? That is just very weird to me. Sully is constantly reminded of that person even without Malik to bring it up. Malik his way of treating Sully was the biggest reason why I couldn't give it more than 3 stars.
The District is a dark romance serie where queer people are hired to take out bad people, they make the world a little bit safer in their own way. Along the way they found their family in each other.
January 3, 2026
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Beautiful. There will never be anyone but you. It has only ever been you.”
^ Page 254.
Check your TW first. There's a lot of rape in this book.
It starts with Sully at 12 years old losing his mother, father, and younger siblings who are twins (they were 2). There's a car accident that didn't kill them but then they're all shot and he is shot but he's the only one to survive.
He spends 3-4 years in foster care being raped by his foster father (Dave). Even though he has 5 foster brothers while he's in that home, he does everything in his power to protect one of them (Martin). Martin has learning disabilities and a stutter so everyone at school bullies him (including teachers), yet Sully always fights for him and stands up to bullies. Except one night Dave gets to Martin while Sully is sleeping and to put it nicely without going into details as you can probably imagine what happened, Martin dies.
Sully tortures and murders Dave before making a run for it. At this point he's 16 and he runs into Malik (again). Malik decides to take him in and train him to become a killer. Sully spends three years trying to get Malik to love him/have sex with him. For obvious reasons Malik refuses.
This book had a lot of dark triggers within this book. But there were only 2 things that I didn't necessarily like while reading this one.
1. Chapter 13. Malik has been drinking and Sully is trying to have sex with him. Malik repeatedly tells him to get off him and leave him alone, but Sully doesn't stop until Malik gives his consent. Kinda sounds like he's being pressured which I'm pretty sure is assault.
Yes, this was the Malik I knew. Not the passive one, giving in to me so easily, drunk or not. - Sully page 136.
The red flags waving and alarms sounding dulled to a muted din from all the alcohol I had consumed tonight. - Malik page 143.
“Sully...”
“Do it!”
“Very well,” I sighed. - Malik page 147.
It just didn't sound like Malik was willingly giving his consent in this scene. Might be how I interpreted it or how it was written, but I wasn't entirely happy with that scene.
For context Malik only drinks on his friend's anniversary (he was killed for being gay when they were 13). So every year from Sully being 18 they have sex on this day because Malik isn't thinking properly and he's not entirely himself. This goes on for 13 years!!
2. The second thing I didn't like was that Sully tells everyone that he's about to kill what Dave (foster father) did to him and how he slowly tortured and killed Dave. I understand completely that Sully is traumatised and what he went through as a teenager was awful but to have it written out over and over again every time just felt a bit repetitive and quite honestly I didn't mind reading it the first time as I knew what to expect from the TW, but that doesn't mean I wanted to reread the scene over and over. Again, this might just be a personal preference.
I think I'll give up on this series as I don't see myself enjoying this any further.
^ Page 254.
Check your TW first. There's a lot of rape in this book.
It starts with Sully at 12 years old losing his mother, father, and younger siblings who are twins (they were 2). There's a car accident that didn't kill them but then they're all shot and he is shot but he's the only one to survive.
He spends 3-4 years in foster care being raped by his foster father (Dave). Even though he has 5 foster brothers while he's in that home, he does everything in his power to protect one of them (Martin). Martin has learning disabilities and a stutter so everyone at school bullies him (including teachers), yet Sully always fights for him and stands up to bullies. Except one night Dave gets to Martin while Sully is sleeping and to put it nicely without going into details as you can probably imagine what happened, Martin dies.
Sully tortures and murders Dave before making a run for it. At this point he's 16 and he runs into Malik (again). Malik decides to take him in and train him to become a killer. Sully spends three years trying to get Malik to love him/have sex with him. For obvious reasons Malik refuses.
This book had a lot of dark triggers within this book. But there were only 2 things that I didn't necessarily like while reading this one.
1. Chapter 13. Malik has been drinking and Sully is trying to have sex with him. Malik repeatedly tells him to get off him and leave him alone, but Sully doesn't stop until Malik gives his consent. Kinda sounds like he's being pressured which I'm pretty sure is assault.
Yes, this was the Malik I knew. Not the passive one, giving in to me so easily, drunk or not. - Sully page 136.
The red flags waving and alarms sounding dulled to a muted din from all the alcohol I had consumed tonight. - Malik page 143.
“Sully...”
“Do it!”
“Very well,” I sighed. - Malik page 147.
It just didn't sound like Malik was willingly giving his consent in this scene. Might be how I interpreted it or how it was written, but I wasn't entirely happy with that scene.
For context Malik only drinks on his friend's anniversary (he was killed for being gay when they were 13). So every year from Sully being 18 they have sex on this day because Malik isn't thinking properly and he's not entirely himself. This goes on for 13 years!!
2. The second thing I didn't like was that Sully tells everyone that he's about to kill what Dave (foster father) did to him and how he slowly tortured and killed Dave. I understand completely that Sully is traumatised and what he went through as a teenager was awful but to have it written out over and over again every time just felt a bit repetitive and quite honestly I didn't mind reading it the first time as I knew what to expect from the TW, but that doesn't mean I wanted to reread the scene over and over. Again, this might just be a personal preference.
I think I'll give up on this series as I don't see myself enjoying this any further.
May 29, 2025
Okay, so let me set the stage for this review. First off—I read His Death Bringer last year and loved it; a five-star read, in my opinion. But upon reading that book, Mal and Sully hadn't really piqued my interest, so I had planned on skipping Book 2 and waiting for Sid's book to drop. Fast forward to the time of this review—Book Four will be out in a few weeks, so I figured now was as good a time as any to revisit the series.
And me—being the mood reader I am—looked at Book 2's synopsis and was suddenly like, "Huh… this actually seems really interesting." AND BOY WAS IT! I am so glad that I decided to give this book a shot after my little break because Malik and Sully are now my absolute favorite characters, hands down!
Sully is by far one of the most interesting characters in the series—and one of the most interesting I've read in a while in general. He's gritty, complex, and so funny (in that dry, sarcastic way). I just completely fell in love. He has had such a complicated life that I wanted to bundle him up in endless hugs and kisses (though he'd probably hate that). Why he is my favorite and practically my series comfort character is for none of us to know and for my therapist to find out.
Malik is also very fascinating. I've found that when you have characters as "explosive" as Sully, it can be hard to write them a love interest that isn't boring or one-dimensional—but Courtney absolutely nailed it here. Malik is just as complex—the literal definition of fighting demons his whole life. And he is such a strong character that those moments where you see him break down really hit hard.
Cameos from the other characters were also great. I love seeing our Luca warm up to Sully and Sully being gentle with him. Sid and Malik's relationship was interesting, which made some of the later plot points harder to swallow, but we'll see how that plays out in the next book!
My only slight negative is that I don't really like how things played out when Sully finally found everything out. It's hard to explain without getting too into spoilers, but it was a bit tough to read. All in all, though, this was still a total banger of a book—definitely check it out! Don't wait as long as I did.
Final Rating: 5/5
Notable Tropes
- Killer x Killer
- Age Gap (Over 20 Yrs)
- Found Family
- Kinky AF
- Pining
- Possessive MC
⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️
CWs/TWs: Extreme Violence, On-Page Child Abuse, On-Page Child Sexual Assault, Death of Multiple Family Members, Graphic Descriptions of Killings/Muder, Violent LGBT Persecution (Resulting in Death or Near-Death), Trauma, Blood Play
And me—being the mood reader I am—looked at Book 2's synopsis and was suddenly like, "Huh… this actually seems really interesting." AND BOY WAS IT! I am so glad that I decided to give this book a shot after my little break because Malik and Sully are now my absolute favorite characters, hands down!
Sully is by far one of the most interesting characters in the series—and one of the most interesting I've read in a while in general. He's gritty, complex, and so funny (in that dry, sarcastic way). I just completely fell in love. He has had such a complicated life that I wanted to bundle him up in endless hugs and kisses (though he'd probably hate that). Why he is my favorite and practically my series comfort character is for none of us to know and for my therapist to find out.
Malik is also very fascinating. I've found that when you have characters as "explosive" as Sully, it can be hard to write them a love interest that isn't boring or one-dimensional—but Courtney absolutely nailed it here. Malik is just as complex—the literal definition of fighting demons his whole life. And he is such a strong character that those moments where you see him break down really hit hard.
Cameos from the other characters were also great. I love seeing our Luca warm up to Sully and Sully being gentle with him. Sid and Malik's relationship was interesting, which made some of the later plot points harder to swallow, but we'll see how that plays out in the next book!
My only slight negative is that I don't really like how things played out when Sully finally found everything out. It's hard to explain without getting too into spoilers, but it was a bit tough to read. All in all, though, this was still a total banger of a book—definitely check it out! Don't wait as long as I did.
Final Rating: 5/5
Notable Tropes
- Killer x Killer
- Age Gap (Over 20 Yrs)
- Found Family
- Kinky AF
- Pining
- Possessive MC
⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️
CWs/TWs: Extreme Violence, On-Page Child Abuse, On-Page Child Sexual Assault, Death of Multiple Family Members, Graphic Descriptions of Killings/Muder, Violent LGBT Persecution (Resulting in Death or Near-Death), Trauma, Blood Play
January 14, 2025
.The District: His Bane by Courtney D. Wixon is a dark and compelling MM romance that delves into themes of trauma, redemption, and the raw complexities of human connection. The story follows Sully, a young man shaped by a life of pain and survival, and Malik, a seasoned assassin whose conscience drives him to seek redemption.
Their paths first cross when a botched mission orchestrated by Malik results in the destruction of Sully’s family. Stricken with guilt, Malik places Sully into the foster care system, hoping to provide him with a second chance at life. However, Sully’s world spirals further into darkness as he endures abuse at the hands of his foster father, Dave—a man who preys on the boys under his care. Sully’s breaking point comes when Dave murders Martin, a foster brother Sully idolized and described as “the Greek god Orpheus,” the embodiment of goodness and purity. Consumed by grief and rage, Sully takes justice into his own hands, making Dave his first kill at just sixteen years old.
When Malik and Sully’s paths cross again, Sully is on the run, hardened by his experiences and thirsting for vengeance. Malik takes him under his wing, not just to train him but to guide him toward a purpose. What follows is an intense and symbiotic relationship where the two men find solace, understanding, and belonging in each other.
My Thoughts
Courtney D. Wixon’s storytelling is raw and unapologetic, painting a vivid and haunting picture of Sully’s trauma and resilience. The brief glimpses into Sully’s abusive relationships—both biological and foster—add depth to his character, making his journey toward empowerment and connection all the more poignant.
The dynamic between Sully and Malik is mesmerizing. Sully’s intelligence, obsession, and dark nature contrast yet complement Malik’s stoicism and guilt-ridden resolve. Together, they navigate a world that doesn’t shy away from moral ambiguity, blurring the lines between right and wrong.
The book’s exploration of trauma, redemption, and unconventional love is gripping. Wixon challenges readers to question societal norms of love and morality, delivering a story that is as thought-provoking as it is emotionally charged.
Recommendation
This book isn’t for the faint of heart—it’s dark, intense, and filled with morally complex characters. But for readers who appreciate stories that push boundaries and delve into the depths of human emotion, The District: His Bane is an unforgettable experience. Perfect for fans of MM romance, psychological drama, and tales of redemption.
Their paths first cross when a botched mission orchestrated by Malik results in the destruction of Sully’s family. Stricken with guilt, Malik places Sully into the foster care system, hoping to provide him with a second chance at life. However, Sully’s world spirals further into darkness as he endures abuse at the hands of his foster father, Dave—a man who preys on the boys under his care. Sully’s breaking point comes when Dave murders Martin, a foster brother Sully idolized and described as “the Greek god Orpheus,” the embodiment of goodness and purity. Consumed by grief and rage, Sully takes justice into his own hands, making Dave his first kill at just sixteen years old.
When Malik and Sully’s paths cross again, Sully is on the run, hardened by his experiences and thirsting for vengeance. Malik takes him under his wing, not just to train him but to guide him toward a purpose. What follows is an intense and symbiotic relationship where the two men find solace, understanding, and belonging in each other.
My Thoughts
Courtney D. Wixon’s storytelling is raw and unapologetic, painting a vivid and haunting picture of Sully’s trauma and resilience. The brief glimpses into Sully’s abusive relationships—both biological and foster—add depth to his character, making his journey toward empowerment and connection all the more poignant.
The dynamic between Sully and Malik is mesmerizing. Sully’s intelligence, obsession, and dark nature contrast yet complement Malik’s stoicism and guilt-ridden resolve. Together, they navigate a world that doesn’t shy away from moral ambiguity, blurring the lines between right and wrong.
The book’s exploration of trauma, redemption, and unconventional love is gripping. Wixon challenges readers to question societal norms of love and morality, delivering a story that is as thought-provoking as it is emotionally charged.
Recommendation
This book isn’t for the faint of heart—it’s dark, intense, and filled with morally complex characters. But for readers who appreciate stories that push boundaries and delve into the depths of human emotion, The District: His Bane is an unforgettable experience. Perfect for fans of MM romance, psychological drama, and tales of redemption.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2024
2.5 stars, rounded up. This was well-written and, as the author pointed out in her forward, seemed well-researched too. And I was SO excited for it after loving the first book in the series, and also having had a ton of fun with psychopath romances I've read by other authors.
But this one? 😕 Yeahhhhh. It didn't really work for me.
Slow burns are not ever going to be my favorite, although I can totally get into them when they're done really well (looking at you, Anyta Sunday!), but while the sloooooooowwwww burn, half-the-book-being-backstory-before-we-finally-get-to-the-present-day part of this one definitely made for an interesting story, I think what ultimately made it a disappointing read for me was that I got no, like ZERO, romantic satisfaction from it.
I get that the author was trying to write Sully's character as authentically psychopathic as possible in regard to his lack of ability to experience emotion, but while she may have succeeded at that, it made his version of obsession with Malik really disappointing to my romance-loving heart.
No ability to experience "love"? Okay, I can work with that. But also a total lack of tenderness, almost no physical touching outside of sex at all, no acts of service, need to make him happy, displays of possessiveness outside of their words to each other... there was just NOTHING about their so-called connection to emotionally latch onto here. Sully may lack the ability to feel, but I don't, and if I can't have some of that while reading romance then honestly, what's the fucking point?
And on top of that, oh my godddddddddddddd. 🙄 Malik was such a sad sack. Did I have empathy for his tragic backstory? Of course. Was he a total drag to read and did I lose interest in him actually getting an HEA the longer the book carried on and on and on, and the more my impatience to feel SOME kind of actual tenderness/authenticity/connection between them grew? Also yes.
And then, after slogging through all of that, and not really finding their always-rough blood-play sex particularly hot (especially with ALL the years of denial 🙄🙄🙄), the HEA they did (sort of) get was completely lackluster and disappointing.
Anyway, I'm still here for future books in the series. Probably.
Well, maybe.
I guess it remains to be seen.
But as for this one, while it kept my interest enough to finish it up without DNFing, it definitely disappointed my heart. #thisisnotwhyIreadromance
But this one? 😕 Yeahhhhh. It didn't really work for me.
Slow burns are not ever going to be my favorite, although I can totally get into them when they're done really well (looking at you, Anyta Sunday!), but while the sloooooooowwwww burn, half-the-book-being-backstory-before-we-finally-get-to-the-present-day part of this one definitely made for an interesting story, I think what ultimately made it a disappointing read for me was that I got no, like ZERO, romantic satisfaction from it.
I get that the author was trying to write Sully's character as authentically psychopathic as possible in regard to his lack of ability to experience emotion, but while she may have succeeded at that, it made his version of obsession with Malik really disappointing to my romance-loving heart.
No ability to experience "love"? Okay, I can work with that. But also a total lack of tenderness, almost no physical touching outside of sex at all, no acts of service, need to make him happy, displays of possessiveness outside of their words to each other... there was just NOTHING about their so-called connection to emotionally latch onto here. Sully may lack the ability to feel, but I don't, and if I can't have some of that while reading romance then honestly, what's the fucking point?
And on top of that, oh my godddddddddddddd. 🙄 Malik was such a sad sack. Did I have empathy for his tragic backstory? Of course. Was he a total drag to read and did I lose interest in him actually getting an HEA the longer the book carried on and on and on, and the more my impatience to feel SOME kind of actual tenderness/authenticity/connection between them grew? Also yes.
And then, after slogging through all of that, and not really finding their always-rough blood-play sex particularly hot (especially with ALL the years of denial 🙄🙄🙄), the HEA they did (sort of) get was completely lackluster and disappointing.
Anyway, I'm still here for future books in the series. Probably.
Well, maybe.
I guess it remains to be seen.
But as for this one, while it kept my interest enough to finish it up without DNFing, it definitely disappointed my heart. #thisisnotwhyIreadromance
February 28, 2024
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My biggest issue with this book was me and my lack of time atm. So I will definitely be rereading this sometime soon to resdiscover their story.
I liked it, however. I love psycopaths falling in love and that's exactly what Sully was. His story with Malik is complicated and easy to understand and the same time, and I loved seeing their relationship and what happened to them across the years.
It's not a light story, but neither was the first one. Sully's story is cruel and terrible, and it's a pity Malik didn't take better care of him while he was younger. I believe he could have... but then there would be no story, right?
The slowburn between Sully and Malik is something I loved and hated at the same time. I loved it because I'm a goner for romances that take time to brew and this one takes its fair time! BUT. I hated the fact that Malik's stubborness is the only thing that makes it slow.
I mean... I get Malik and his reasons. Both was he went through while a child in Syria and what happened with Sully's family are more than enough reasons to feel like he shouldn't give into Sully's advances. But my issue was there not actually happening nothing that made me undrstand his change of heart, and that's something I felt a couple of times.
Again, I'm not sure if this is a me-issue or a book-issue, so I will pay attention while I reread it.
The best part of this book was Sully. His psychopathy makes him unhinged and the best kind of crazy, and I loved how fiercely he protects those he "loves". And let's not forget his love for disco and the reasons why he loves it. Sully is a really well defined character, and while reading the book you can understand why he does this and that and what lead him to become like that.
Malik, though... I had more issues with him.
Alsa, I can't wait to discover what's going on with Sid!! I will be waiting for the next book to discover what happened between him and his old classmate.
My biggest issue with this book was me and my lack of time atm. So I will definitely be rereading this sometime soon to resdiscover their story.
I liked it, however. I love psycopaths falling in love and that's exactly what Sully was. His story with Malik is complicated and easy to understand and the same time, and I loved seeing their relationship and what happened to them across the years.
It's not a light story, but neither was the first one. Sully's story is cruel and terrible, and it's a pity Malik didn't take better care of him while he was younger. I believe he could have... but then there would be no story, right?
The slowburn between Sully and Malik is something I loved and hated at the same time. I loved it because I'm a goner for romances that take time to brew and this one takes its fair time! BUT. I hated the fact that Malik's stubborness is the only thing that makes it slow.
I mean... I get Malik and his reasons. Both was he went through while a child in Syria and what happened with Sully's family are more than enough reasons to feel like he shouldn't give into Sully's advances. But my issue was there not actually happening nothing that made me undrstand his change of heart, and that's something I felt a couple of times.
Again, I'm not sure if this is a me-issue or a book-issue, so I will pay attention while I reread it.
The best part of this book was Sully. His psychopathy makes him unhinged and the best kind of crazy, and I loved how fiercely he protects those he "loves". And let's not forget his love for disco and the reasons why he loves it. Sully is a really well defined character, and while reading the book you can understand why he does this and that and what lead him to become like that.
Malik, though... I had more issues with him.
Alsa, I can't wait to discover what's going on with Sid!! I will be waiting for the next book to discover what happened between him and his old classmate.
February 23, 2024
«ARC REVIEW»
His Bane is the second book in Courtney W. Dixon’s The District series. It can be read as a standalone (I have not read book 1).
« mentor x student »
« slow burn »
« age gap »
« forced proximity »
« knife/blood play »
« hate sex »
« psychopathy »
« obsession »
« assassins »
« found family »
Prepare for the slowest of slow burns. Sully is first introduced when he is only 12 years old. We watch Sully and Malik grow, work, and bond together over the span of almost two decades. Sully had no chance to be what he perceives as “normal,” from the abuse he experienced at the hands of his father as a child, and the horrific experiences he faced through his teens while in foster care.
I LOVED Sully’s character! He is the most loveable psychopath. He is a psychopath and a killer who loves to torture his targets and revels in getting up close and bloody. But his character is also loveable – between his teasing and joking, pushing Malik’s buttons, and his love for disco, how could you not root for him?
Then there is Malik. The self-hatred and self-loathing is strong with this one. Malik is greatly affected by his own traumatic history. Malik takes Sully in when he is 16, mostly out of guilt, and starts to train him as one of his assassins. Sully soon becomes obsessive and possessive over Malik. As Sully grows into adulthood, the possessiveness is returned. Their friendship/relationship is toxic – bonded through trauma, murder, blood, and secrets. They feed off each other. They want each other as much as they need each other. Sully and Malik eventually get their hard earned HEA!
This is the first book I have read by Courtney, but I think she did a great job, especially with Sully. She shows us how love can be felt, experienced, and shown differently, but it does not make it any less real.
[I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review].
His Bane is the second book in Courtney W. Dixon’s The District series. It can be read as a standalone (I have not read book 1).
« mentor x student »
« slow burn »
« age gap »
« forced proximity »
« knife/blood play »
« hate sex »
« psychopathy »
« obsession »
« assassins »
« found family »
Prepare for the slowest of slow burns. Sully is first introduced when he is only 12 years old. We watch Sully and Malik grow, work, and bond together over the span of almost two decades. Sully had no chance to be what he perceives as “normal,” from the abuse he experienced at the hands of his father as a child, and the horrific experiences he faced through his teens while in foster care.
I LOVED Sully’s character! He is the most loveable psychopath. He is a psychopath and a killer who loves to torture his targets and revels in getting up close and bloody. But his character is also loveable – between his teasing and joking, pushing Malik’s buttons, and his love for disco, how could you not root for him?
Then there is Malik. The self-hatred and self-loathing is strong with this one. Malik is greatly affected by his own traumatic history. Malik takes Sully in when he is 16, mostly out of guilt, and starts to train him as one of his assassins. Sully soon becomes obsessive and possessive over Malik. As Sully grows into adulthood, the possessiveness is returned. Their friendship/relationship is toxic – bonded through trauma, murder, blood, and secrets. They feed off each other. They want each other as much as they need each other. Sully and Malik eventually get their hard earned HEA!
This is the first book I have read by Courtney, but I think she did a great job, especially with Sully. She shows us how love can be felt, experienced, and shown differently, but it does not make it any less real.
[I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review].
February 28, 2024
With the second book of the series, the author brings us a chance to decide or find out if it is nature or nurture? And begs us to answer can a psychopath love?
Sully, knife specialist, and psychopath has an obsession as well, but is it truly obsession or a very skewed version of love, or both? Raised in a rich family, his father cruel and unyielding, not even to give his son the benefit of the doubt. A stand-offish mother who only shares her love of disco with him, barely any familial. The only family members he loves or feels love him are his much younger twin toddler siblings. One night will change his life forever. One person will care for him over the next few years while he lives through even more abuse. Until a fateful night when that one person is taken from him. This will also be the first time he causes the secession of another's life.
Malik a man who successfully helps others eliminate their foes, sends someone to eliminate one man, is not happy when the job is botched and scene by one as collateral damage, preventing a revenge scenario type thing as his reason to change the plan. But scene by another as what it is a botched job even worse when he finds out there is a survivor and makes a decision that will change many things in his life then and in the future.
A few years go by, and when he meets our young survivor again, he makes yet another decision that will affect not only his but both their futures. Haunted by his youth, guilt-ridden by decisions made in more than one part of his life, and self-loathing master, can he love and have a future based on decisions that cause more loathing?
This is a dark romance that includes heat, an age gap, a mentor-student affair, proximity advantage taken of situation, blood and knife play. Can you figure out the answer to the question can a psychopath love another? The question is it nature or nurture? Obsession or love. Abide by the trigger warnings.
Sully, knife specialist, and psychopath has an obsession as well, but is it truly obsession or a very skewed version of love, or both? Raised in a rich family, his father cruel and unyielding, not even to give his son the benefit of the doubt. A stand-offish mother who only shares her love of disco with him, barely any familial. The only family members he loves or feels love him are his much younger twin toddler siblings. One night will change his life forever. One person will care for him over the next few years while he lives through even more abuse. Until a fateful night when that one person is taken from him. This will also be the first time he causes the secession of another's life.
Malik a man who successfully helps others eliminate their foes, sends someone to eliminate one man, is not happy when the job is botched and scene by one as collateral damage, preventing a revenge scenario type thing as his reason to change the plan. But scene by another as what it is a botched job even worse when he finds out there is a survivor and makes a decision that will change many things in his life then and in the future.
A few years go by, and when he meets our young survivor again, he makes yet another decision that will affect not only his but both their futures. Haunted by his youth, guilt-ridden by decisions made in more than one part of his life, and self-loathing master, can he love and have a future based on decisions that cause more loathing?
This is a dark romance that includes heat, an age gap, a mentor-student affair, proximity advantage taken of situation, blood and knife play. Can you figure out the answer to the question can a psychopath love another? The question is it nature or nurture? Obsession or love. Abide by the trigger warnings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2024
This book is wild. It's super important to say that if you have any triggers, read the warnings for this book prior to diving in, because it's got some heavy content that could be sensitive for some.
Straight off the bat, I will say that I enjoyed the story, even if it was super heavy. Like, His Death Bringer is dark, but the story of Sully and Malik is much darker in comparison. The childlike personality of Luca in book 1 added some sort of lightness, despite the horrible things he'd been through. However, with Malik and Sully? I can't even say they're both morally grey, because their morals are as black as night - especially given one of them is an undiagnosed psychopath. However, their narrative was still intriguing from the outset.
I did find this story a little slow compared to book 1, especially as we dive into their past before we get to the present much later on. But all of this is needed to truly understand the context of Malik and Sully's relationship with each other - from protector to reluctant, unrequited love, to where we get to at the end. The true deserve their happy ending, especially Sully who really has been through some horrific events in his life - most caused, even indirectly, by Malik who is drowning in his guilt.
In terms of triggers, there's familial murder, child abuse, oppression due to religion, and that's before we even get to Sully's inclination for pain and blood play during sex. I think my eyes were wide as saucers during some of the scenes I read, and I'm a big fan of dark romance. But still, their relationship actually has some very sweet moments, even if Sully doesn't fully understand why Malik needs a little tenderness from time to time.
I could say a lot about this book, all positive, but I can't without giving any - even minor - spoilers. So, all I'll say is that it was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to book 3 to find out what's happened to Sid.
Straight off the bat, I will say that I enjoyed the story, even if it was super heavy. Like, His Death Bringer is dark, but the story of Sully and Malik is much darker in comparison. The childlike personality of Luca in book 1 added some sort of lightness, despite the horrible things he'd been through. However, with Malik and Sully? I can't even say they're both morally grey, because their morals are as black as night - especially given one of them is an undiagnosed psychopath. However, their narrative was still intriguing from the outset.
I did find this story a little slow compared to book 1, especially as we dive into their past before we get to the present much later on. But all of this is needed to truly understand the context of Malik and Sully's relationship with each other - from protector to reluctant, unrequited love, to where we get to at the end. The true deserve their happy ending, especially Sully who really has been through some horrific events in his life - most caused, even indirectly, by Malik who is drowning in his guilt.
In terms of triggers, there's familial murder, child abuse, oppression due to religion, and that's before we even get to Sully's inclination for pain and blood play during sex. I think my eyes were wide as saucers during some of the scenes I read, and I'm a big fan of dark romance. But still, their relationship actually has some very sweet moments, even if Sully doesn't fully understand why Malik needs a little tenderness from time to time.
I could say a lot about this book, all positive, but I can't without giving any - even minor - spoilers. So, all I'll say is that it was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to book 3 to find out what's happened to Sid.
February 15, 2024
I have always been yours, even when I believed I wasn't. Even in death, you have me.
His Bane has the slowest of slow burns, the book is not extremely long but it does span quite some time in the lives of Malik and Sully.
After Malik takes Sully in, he teaches Sully his assassin ways, trying to point his violence towards a greater goal. All while trying to keep a distance between them. All while Sully tries and tries to get Malik to give into their lustful urges, he wants Malik and is not letting it go so easily. He will have him, even if it takes him years to have Malik to break.
Malik’s past stands in his own way of moving forward and stands between him and his feelings for Sully. He refuses to face his issues head on. The more I learned about his past, the more I felt for him. These were not simple issues; these were deep-rooted down to the dept of his being.
You have to love Sully, the psychopath with the best quirk ever: he loves disco music! Every single time a song was mentioned I just had to laugh because it feels like he should like the total opposite of it. I love how it humanized him. He wasn’t just a killer, a murderer, even if it was twisted, he still had a soul in there.
Sully pushes at Malik so much, even if he and Malik don’t believe Sully is capable of love, what he feels is deep and true. It’s as close to love he can get and it’s still beautiful. He would move the earth for Malik.
I loved Malik and Sully, the side characters and the twists and turns in the story. I haven’t read His Death Bringer and it’s definitely not necessary to follow the story, but I can see the parts where it would enhance the experience. I will definitely read that soon!
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 27, 2024
Oh man oh man!
Finally I have the reason behind the disco music.. although it is gut wrenching why Sully likes it.
This book has the most intense of slow burns that I have read to date but once it ignites, be prepared.
Sully is by definition a psychopath which we see him in Book 1 and get a feel for him but this book delves into who he is and how he came to be the person we seen in book 1.
Sully & Malik are a complex pair, both have issues but they both seem to even each other out in the end. Although bloody.
I was not prepared for the backstory of Sully or even Malik, they were heartbreaking.
The progression of these two throughout the book is so clear and spot on, there were no crumbs unless it was intentional.
While this book was not meant to be a cutesy book in any way, there was that soft moment for Malik when it all crumbled down and he gave in. The freeing feeling even I felt as, finally, he knows. The aftermath was the most difficult to read, trying to grasp the emotions of both of them in that moment. One of extreme pain and regret and the other with betrayal and a sense of loss in a way.
I never expected all the iron-y scenes but if that didn't add to who Sully & Malik were then I don't know what else would honestly.
There are plenty of my favorites throughout this book that kept me hooked and never left me hanging. Although I was thrown for a loop at the series cliffhanger because seriously, I never expected that. I was thinking of a different route but we have to wait til freaking October before we find out exactly what is going on with Sid. (Its so far away Courtney!)
Lastly I cannot stress the heavy heavy issues that are in this book are extreme and there are the trigger warnings for this reason, please read them.
Finally I have the reason behind the disco music.. although it is gut wrenching why Sully likes it.
This book has the most intense of slow burns that I have read to date but once it ignites, be prepared.
Sully is by definition a psychopath which we see him in Book 1 and get a feel for him but this book delves into who he is and how he came to be the person we seen in book 1.
Sully & Malik are a complex pair, both have issues but they both seem to even each other out in the end. Although bloody.
I was not prepared for the backstory of Sully or even Malik, they were heartbreaking.
The progression of these two throughout the book is so clear and spot on, there were no crumbs unless it was intentional.
While this book was not meant to be a cutesy book in any way, there was that soft moment for Malik when it all crumbled down and he gave in. The freeing feeling even I felt as, finally, he knows. The aftermath was the most difficult to read, trying to grasp the emotions of both of them in that moment. One of extreme pain and regret and the other with betrayal and a sense of loss in a way.
I never expected all the iron-y scenes but if that didn't add to who Sully & Malik were then I don't know what else would honestly.
There are plenty of my favorites throughout this book that kept me hooked and never left me hanging. Although I was thrown for a loop at the series cliffhanger because seriously, I never expected that. I was thinking of a different route but we have to wait til freaking October before we find out exactly what is going on with Sid. (Its so far away Courtney!)
Lastly I cannot stress the heavy heavy issues that are in this book are extreme and there are the trigger warnings for this reason, please read them.
February 16, 2024
The second book in The District series continues to follow the dark world of hired assassins that live among us. This time Courtney tells a story of the founder of the league of the assassins, Malik Amin, and one of his best employees, Sullivan Beauchamp. We know a bit about them from the previous book, His Death Bringer, and she definitely left us wanting more of them as they were both so intriguing.
This book is quite dark, and it stays dark all the way through, and I think it’s the beauty of it. Sully is a psychopath with no sense of compassion, but in a way it makes him good at what he does. He has his style as well. He plays ABBA’s hits when he’s on the job, and we know quite well what kind of job he has.
Courtney mentioned at the start of her book that ‘it was hard to write a character who’s barely morally gray at best while making him likable’. His story is very sad. Courtney explains really well why he is the way he is by delving into his distant past.
Malik feels responsible for Sully, but he was not prepared for the pressure Sully put on him over the years trying to reduce the distance between them and erase the barrier that was a mentor/student relationship. Malik has his own story that probably rivals Sully’s, but he’s older and tries to stand by what he believes in.
You can tell Courtney did a lot of research on psychopathy and I enjoyed watching both characters’ development. There was no unrealistic jumps into kissing, hugging and love declarations because these men love very differently. It was a very different read for me and came at a time when I was craving darkness. Sometimes you need the darkness to appreciate the light.
This book is quite dark, and it stays dark all the way through, and I think it’s the beauty of it. Sully is a psychopath with no sense of compassion, but in a way it makes him good at what he does. He has his style as well. He plays ABBA’s hits when he’s on the job, and we know quite well what kind of job he has.
Courtney mentioned at the start of her book that ‘it was hard to write a character who’s barely morally gray at best while making him likable’. His story is very sad. Courtney explains really well why he is the way he is by delving into his distant past.
Malik feels responsible for Sully, but he was not prepared for the pressure Sully put on him over the years trying to reduce the distance between them and erase the barrier that was a mentor/student relationship. Malik has his own story that probably rivals Sully’s, but he’s older and tries to stand by what he believes in.
You can tell Courtney did a lot of research on psychopathy and I enjoyed watching both characters’ development. There was no unrealistic jumps into kissing, hugging and love declarations because these men love very differently. It was a very different read for me and came at a time when I was craving darkness. Sometimes you need the darkness to appreciate the light.
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