The Least Favorite: An Arcaverse Story

by Hazel Paige

Genres: Omegaverse, Dark Romance, Why Choose, Military Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia, Romance

361 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 17, 2026

Reviews

[Jessica Proulx · Rating 3 out of 5]

like if sherlock holmes was an abused & tortured omega woman that lusted after her new dystopian military handlers (first in my bloodline to say this sentence btw)

[Booksighted · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★ stars
A massive upgrade from Caging Fire, Crimson Camo #1, that’s for sure. Between the insufferable Alphas and the non-consensual happenings, the bar for this universe was so low it was practically a tripping hazard in hell.

So, imagine my surprise when The Least Favorite actually cleared it.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't reinventing the wheel. But I am genuinely relieved to report that Hazel Paige seemingly learned from the abysmal reception of her previous Alphas.


We are back in the dystopian, sparsely built/explained Arcaverse world—we know there’s a brewing war and a corrupt government, but the who, what, when, and why remain anyone's guess. Lena is an Omega who has spent five agonizing years chained in mob boss Marco Bellini's basement, enduring her 48-hour torturous heats every single month because she refuses to give Marco the satisfaction of her consent and be owned. Yes, 👸🏻.

She finally escapes, only to be scooped up by the government and handed over to Silas and Knox Mercer—identical twin Alpha Arca AIED operatives. The love interests here might be morally black, blood-splattered interrogators, but they actually understand the concept of consent. Hallelujah.

Instead of breaking her for information on Marco, they (but Silas reluctantly and begrudgingly) decide to rehabilitate her. Thus begins a surprisingly methodical recovery process involving a beta psychologist, sensory exposure, and puzzles.

When the romance (can I actually call it romance), whatever that was, finally kicks in, it feels earned rather than forced. Unlike Caging Fire, where Rowan was just passed around like a piece of meat by toddlers in tactical gear.

The climax involves a successful raid on Marco's empire, Lena getting recaptured, and the twins swooping in for a rescue. This culminates in Silas carving up Luca, Marco’s henchman "scar for scar," followed by Lena sandwiching herself between the twins in front of a captive Marco just to spite him before they kill him. Honestly? A petty, chaotic flex. But, you do you.

Where the Book Stumbles

👯The Identity Crisis:👯‍♂️
Paige apparently forgot who was who. On at least two occasions, the author mixes up her own twins. A scene establishes Silas is asleep, yet the dialogue tag says "Silas paused, watching me closely" while it is Knox talking to Lena.

Or the scene where Knox had just returned Lena’s bite mark during her heat and had looked over at his brother, yet the narration was “Across from me, Knox stilled, his gaze fixed on her, then flicking to me, as if he felt the exact same shift settle into place. A possessive growl tore from his chest and I joined him.” This was Knox’s POV not Silas’s.
If the author can't tell her own male leads apart, why should the reader be expected to?

🐶The "Good Dog" Dialogue:🐶
I cannot express how deeply I loathe it when Alphas praise Omegas with "Such a good omega." It does not sound dominant; it sounds like you are praising a golden retriever for finally doing its business outside. It’s gross, and it needs to be banished from the genre.

🌰The Knot Obsession:🌰
We get it. Alphas have knots. But apparently, Omega biology dictates that their entire internal monologue must revolve around smelling Alpha scents and begging for said knots. It reduces the characters to walking hormone dispensers.

🤦🏽‍♀️The Contrived Epilogue:🤦🏽‍♀️
Lena’s character arc ends with her becoming a sadistic torturer alongside Silas, keeping a literal mason jar of trophies (including Luca’s tongue, a traitor's [aka, Alex Yuri] pinky, and Marco’s nipple). Going from a severely traumatized, touch-averse captive to Hannibal Lecter's apprentice felt incredibly forced and contrived just to make her match the twins' "darkness."


The Least Favorite is an improvement over the dumpster fire that was Caging Fire. The pacing is better, the Alphas are actually tolerable (in a murderous, unhinged sort of way), and the consent makes the smut significantly more digestible. It’s not a masterpiece, and the writing is still plagued by standard Omegaverse clichés, but if you want a dark, revenge-fueled Arcaverse story, this one is surprisingly stomachable.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Multi pov
-ages, idk??
-omegaverse why choose, MFM, the guys are twins
-severely traumatised fmc, the guys are interrogators who were going to torture her for information in the beginning but they quickly realised she was already broken so then they build her back together and they eventually bond.
-it’s unlike any omegaverse I’ve ever read, it’s dystopian, there doesn’t seem to be fated mates, everyone is in the military and omegas are assigned to units. But even the bonding felt like low key and not a big deal like it usually does in OV.
-no OWD at all, no mentions of the guys pasts at all either.
-OMD is the alpha who fmc escaped from, he had her captive for 5 years and he wants her back.
-HEA
-Epilogue is months later and fmc is now an interrogator too

[Marian Balza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es una lástima que sea un libro autoconclusivo, tiene potencial para alargarse al menos un libro más. Todo se sintió un poco apresurado y superficial debido a eso.

Me gustó, la protagonista es agradable, los masculinos son tan parecidos que me costó diferenciar quien era quien, y no hay diferencia en su trato con la protagonista, aunque sí sentí que la autora tuvo preferencia por Silas y por eso le dio la mayoría de las escenas importantes.

Está bien para pasar el rato, nada demasiado wow, aunque pudo haberlo sido.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book that you can read in one setting. Writing was smooth and keeps you engaged. Has descriptive sex scenes. There are many triggers so be warned if you cannot handle abuse, mention of rape, branding, and many other things.

[Eryn Uribe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consumed this insanely fast. 🫡
(Some editing mistakes but otherwise good. Better than the other in this series as far as writing goes.)

[Mykael Geeting · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could've been so good, but whole thing was written with AI.

[Pageturner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was from the same universe as her other books so alpha omega situation in a dystopian world. It was ok sadly the two brothers were pretty much the same person so that was a bit of a shame.

Lena is an omega who has been sold by her mother to Marco a mafia style Alpha who has multiple omegas who he uses as currency. Lena has been silent for several years now due to the torture she was enduring. Marco wanted Lena to willingly surrender to him but she wouldn’t so every heat he would tie her up and listen to her beg giving her no relief.

Silas and Knox are twin brothers and Marcus killed their mother when they were children. They now work as interrogators who torture information out of people and their ultimate goal is to kill Marcus.

Lena manages to escape Marcus and is instantly captured and Silas and Knox think they can torture information from her until they realise they can’t break what is broken. So they change tactics and try to be gentle with her.

Lena’s brain works differently to most people’s she is great at puzzles and has collected information from Marcus for 5 years. Eventually Knox and Silas see Lena as a victim and she starts to trust them so spills all the information.

[Rachel Engeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟3.5 Stars🌟 I really liked this book! I was using it as a way to get out of a reading slump and it worked wonders! I liked the plot, a pretty classic ABO dynamic with the classic kidnapping trope and the ‘small but fierce omega’. (Also, love the art for the book, 10/10)
Into the nitty gritty:
🔅This is a personal grievance, but I wish Knox got more love from Lena in the book. I preferred his character and it felt like he did more mentally for her and I wish that was more acknowledged in the book. (Still love Silas tho).
🔅As someone who is a real life therapist, I honestly didn’t hate the adaptation of trauma therapy. Obviously it’s unrealistic and should not be taken literally (loved the note at the beginning before starting) but I think for a fictional romance world it pulled some decent tools that made me like it more. (I was nervous at the start).
🔅There were some sentence structure/spelling errors that made the writing feel a little disconnected, but nothing too crazy.
🔅I wish there was more detail regarding them bonding together both during the time they first got Lena and after getting her back from Marco at the end.
🔅Overall, it was a great quick and fun read and I will probably read it again in the future! If someone asked me for an ABO book, I would recommend this!🤍

[Eirini | Spellbound.pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded to 4

I’ll start with the positives. I really liked the idea. An abused omega, tortured to the point of being unable to speak and having touch aversion, rescued and paired with two super hot twin alphas who are interrogators themselves? That setup had so much potential and to be honest I finished this in one sitting.
So why the rating? Everything happened way too fast. For this type of story, the book needed to be longer. We’re talking about someone who was severely tortured for five years straight, and based on how everything was described, she got comfortable with them way too quickly. Then suddenly boom, sex. I just didn’t have enough time to really feel the connection developing between them. And before I knew it, she was gone and then rescued almost immediately after. I really needed the author to slow down and let the emotional development breathe a bit more.
That’s basically it. Oh, and I also wasn’t a fan of them calling her “little runt” and “little mute” all the way to the end. Just a personal preference, but that really didn’t work for me.

[Rima-Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the Crimson Camo Series, this spin-off story also didn't take long to draw me completely into its depth.
I love the universe the author built in this series, the complexity and all the different stories and fates. I really enjoyed getting to read about another completely different part of Arca. Getting additional insight in the organisation and another previously mostly unknown division really fleshed out the world-building for me even more.
The twins and Lena's story also really drew me in. The way they came together and helped each other heal.... And all the delicious smut... Perfect.
I loved every bit of this book and can't wait to read more about this world! And I'm especially excited to see these two storylines hopefully connect again in the future! I really want to see the two packs working together. 😊📚

Can be read as a standalone, but works better with the original Crimson Camo series. And those books are so worth it, you're not going to regret reading them first.

[Amanda Lindgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this universe.
It’s peak Omegaverse. It’s perfect.

First off, I really appreciate the care that is put into the trigger warnings, and introduction. It really shows how much this author cares about her readers. 🖤

Lena is… broken. She had her spirit intentionally shattered. She doesn’t speak. She trusts no one. And is extremely touch adverse. Then, she starts healing, it’s beautiful.

The twins are something else!
Knox and Silas are brutal Alphas. Violent men who don’t ask forgiveness. Yet, they are soft for her. Remembering the foods she likes. Reminding her of her strength. Realizing how hard they have fallen. They are balanced, and help her heal.

And the spice?! The heat?! The knots?! Yes. Yes please. 🔥

Overall, this was such a good read. Fast paced. The ending was soooo satisfying. I really hope we get to see more of this trio as this universe unfolds! 🖤

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ addicting and so healing I loved it!❤️ Lena had been held in captivity and tortured for 5 years, she won’t speak and can’t bear to be touched. Her whole existence is about self preservation. When she finally escapes she finds herself being taken in and used as an asset for the government to take down her captor. It is a lot of work over a long time to learn how to trust anybody and be okay with speaking and touching again. She has to be slowly reprogrammed and cared for by the twin Alpha handlers assigned to her. Her case soon becomes personal as they get attached to her and want to take down Marco at any cost. She is brilliant and is the catalyst to taking down his whole empire. There was no “love confession” but I don’t think it was really needed. This sucked me in and I enjoyed the heck out of it!❤️

[Shenae Reads ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good , I expected it to go differently than it did , but it was mostly smut filled , I thought they would do more for her trauma and show real progress , or perhaps have any form of romance but that wasn’t the case it was simply smut , a simple smutty good time and that’s perfectly okay.
If you are looking for I love yous and hand holding with smut , this is not that book , it doesn’t also dive deep into the wolf culture it only has stuff like alpha / omega and knotting 🪢🪢
The smut was 🌶️🌶️
I believe it was only 3 scenes in the book and only one involved both brothers at the same time. ( I could be wrong though )

[Aya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ genuinely… this is a fucking diamond that was hidden in a cave full of fucking stones. I do not trust instagram reels but I do fall for it sometimes and sometimes I suffer the consequences but this time I enjoyed the reward. Exactly what I needed, to make me feel better.

Of course I do wonder about Lenas family and her mother and what comes of that. So I wasn’t extremely satisfied even with Marco being tortured and killed, there was this question what happened to her mother and did she suffer the consequences. I might’ve missed it because it’s 1am but yeah.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Locked In 10/10

OMG!!!! I have been waiting for this to come out and I stayed up past 2am to finish reading it. This book did not disappoint; love flow and how things naturally progressed between the main characters, the 2 MMC complimented each other so well and their chemistry with the MFC. Not gonna leave any spoilers but this is worth the read, Hazel Paige out did herself!!! Don’t sleep on this book🩵

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Kai Esp · Rating 4 out of 5]

well paced but a few errors

Overall liked this story. The pacing was good, I liked the characters. I think the one chapter of Marco’s pov was unneeded and a bit of a spoiler (the twist was expected though). There were a few errors, like the twins names getting mixed up. Didn’t really care for the society (seems like a shit place with owning omegas and all) but I was interested in the relationship between the three.

[The Blueberry Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You can’t threaten to kill someone who already wants to die.”❤️‍🩹

It’s a book that you can read in one sitting because the smooth writing keeps you involved though the entire story.
I really enjoyed the female protagonist's "healing" journey and the fact that the male protagonists truly helped her along the way.
In some chapters there are some mix up about the male characters and I don’t really liked what the female protagonist becomes at the end of the book, it seemed wrong to me.🥲

[Gaby Negron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the tortured FMC trope so much, idk why, I love when the MMC has to pretty much rehab her 😂 it’s always been like that for me. So this book was amazing for me and my taste, making it an omegaverse with two morally gray MMCs, and they are twins and tall and strong and want to burn down the city for her? KEKEKEEKEKEKEKE

[The Book Dragon's Assistant · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️
Almost read this in one go, I liked it so much better than the other two books in this series!
Loved how they helped her overcome the trauma and how they healed together.
Only thing that bothered me a little during reading was that Knox and Silas sometimes got switched by mistake and the wrong name was written down.

[Alivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was obsessed with Hazel Paige’s crimson camo series and was so excited for this book to come out! It was great! Finished it in less than a day. I really love the stories in this world. Can’t wait to read more in the future.

[Cheryl Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok this book is amazing

I was hooked from just the first chapter I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that will listen !!!!! I love the character development in this book can’t waste to read more by this amazing author!!!!

[Gorgina · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great read

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I absolutely loved that the main female character was tough even when she thought she wasn’t , i enjoyed the progression of their relationship and I loved seeing them come together at the end. It was a really good book.

[Maida (Medley of Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4 'runt' HEARTS!

Really enjoyed this one; Lena, Silas, and Knox were easy to like, and the slow burn/trust-building was done wonderfully. However, the book requires editing as there are times when the twins are misidentified.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

devoured this!

This dark omegaverse had me captivated! The trauma, emotional trauma, and healing was so good! I couldn’t put it down. It was easy to follow and I loved Lena and her quiet strength. Highly recommend but check your triggers!

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strong tro. Great hurt/comfort. Bad sex. Unsatisfying ending. 2.5 stars rounded up.

[Ágel Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the trauma healing

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not good, but way better then Caging fire. I really like her fanart and wanted to give this a try again after hating Caging fire. This is better, but I guess Haziel Paige’s writing is not for me.

[Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

Great story! Love a good omegaverse, and thin one is full of heat, sweetness, and growth! Glad I have it a try!