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Tell Me: Reign of Krovavy
When the eastern forces swept through the West in a matter of months, they brought with them something no one had an AI system precise enough to sort the conquered by compatibility, efficient enough to assign them accordingly, and indifferent enough to call the result logical.
Talia is twenty-six, newly widowed, and assigned to Timur Arsanov, called Krovavy — the Bloody One — a man who came down from a Caucasus mountain at fifteen with nothing but a willingness to kill and a talent for it. He is given her the way he is given as something useful, something that belongs to him now.
What follows is not a love story, exactly. It is something harder and stranger than that.
Tell Reign of Krovavy follows Talia across her captivity, survival, and transformation — from a compound in the mountains to an isolated village where Timur's name empties streets and silences rooms, through pregnancy and the specific madness of learning to love a man who does not believe in love. The world around her is brutal and the AI system that catalogues human beings like livestock, the mountain people who call her a witch, the war that takes and takes and occasionally gives something back in a form she doesn't recognize.
Timur is not a man who softens. He is not a man who explains himself, apologizes, or moderates his nature for anyone's comfort. He is violent in the way that mountains are violent — not out of malice, but out of a fundamental indifference to the damage caused by being what he is. He wants obedience, children, and the particular quality of surrender he finds in Talia. He gets all three, and gives almost nothing in return, and the almost is where the story lives.
Talia, for her part, is not a victim. She is a woman of considerable intelligence and almost no illusions, who understands her situation with a clarity that is both her greatest strength and her particular torment.
The novel is told in Talia's voice — sardonic, precise, and unflinching. She is not a narrator who softens what happened to her or the man who happened to her. She is a narrator who insists on seeing clearly, and what she sees is a man who is genuinely dangerous and genuinely hers; a world that has stripped her of everything and given her something she didn't ask for.
Alongside Timur and Talia, Reign of Krovavy is populated with characters who resist easy categorization. Rashid, the man closest to Timur, is cruel and funny and the most honest person in the book — honest in the way that people are honest when they have nothing to protect. Ramzan, Timur's older brother, is what Timur might have become without the war to civilize him, however slightly. Ikram, who appears in the final chapters, offers Talia something she has not had in two the experience of being treated as a person rather than a possession. What she does with that is, as yet, unresolved.
Reign of Krovavy ends where good first books should end — in the middle of something that has just become irreversible. It is the beginning of a story about survival, identity, and what it costs to love something that was never supposed to be yours.
It is not a comfortable book. It was not written to be.
Trigger
Non-consensual and dubiously consensual sexual situations — the central relationship begins as captivity and assigned ownership; early sexual encounters are dubcon Explicit sexual content throughout Domestic violence and physical abuse — including slapping and other physical control Mentions o
Talia is twenty-six, newly widowed, and assigned to Timur Arsanov, called Krovavy — the Bloody One — a man who came down from a Caucasus mountain at fifteen with nothing but a willingness to kill and a talent for it. He is given her the way he is given as something useful, something that belongs to him now.
What follows is not a love story, exactly. It is something harder and stranger than that.
Tell Reign of Krovavy follows Talia across her captivity, survival, and transformation — from a compound in the mountains to an isolated village where Timur's name empties streets and silences rooms, through pregnancy and the specific madness of learning to love a man who does not believe in love. The world around her is brutal and the AI system that catalogues human beings like livestock, the mountain people who call her a witch, the war that takes and takes and occasionally gives something back in a form she doesn't recognize.
Timur is not a man who softens. He is not a man who explains himself, apologizes, or moderates his nature for anyone's comfort. He is violent in the way that mountains are violent — not out of malice, but out of a fundamental indifference to the damage caused by being what he is. He wants obedience, children, and the particular quality of surrender he finds in Talia. He gets all three, and gives almost nothing in return, and the almost is where the story lives.
Talia, for her part, is not a victim. She is a woman of considerable intelligence and almost no illusions, who understands her situation with a clarity that is both her greatest strength and her particular torment.
The novel is told in Talia's voice — sardonic, precise, and unflinching. She is not a narrator who softens what happened to her or the man who happened to her. She is a narrator who insists on seeing clearly, and what she sees is a man who is genuinely dangerous and genuinely hers; a world that has stripped her of everything and given her something she didn't ask for.
Alongside Timur and Talia, Reign of Krovavy is populated with characters who resist easy categorization. Rashid, the man closest to Timur, is cruel and funny and the most honest person in the book — honest in the way that people are honest when they have nothing to protect. Ramzan, Timur's older brother, is what Timur might have become without the war to civilize him, however slightly. Ikram, who appears in the final chapters, offers Talia something she has not had in two the experience of being treated as a person rather than a possession. What she does with that is, as yet, unresolved.
Reign of Krovavy ends where good first books should end — in the middle of something that has just become irreversible. It is the beginning of a story about survival, identity, and what it costs to love something that was never supposed to be yours.
It is not a comfortable book. It was not written to be.
Trigger
Non-consensual and dubiously consensual sexual situations — the central relationship begins as captivity and assigned ownership; early sexual encounters are dubcon Explicit sexual content throughout Domestic violence and physical abuse — including slapping and other physical control Mentions o
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2026
About the author
Layla Cornell
6 books9 followersLayla Cornell has been writing for as long as she can remember, but it was always the thing she did on the side - squeezing stories between building a career and raising a family.
For years, she was active in the fanfiction community, where she learned that the best stories come from deeply understanding and following your characters.
Now, with more time to dedicate to her passion, she's finally publishing her own work.
When she discovered MMA, everything clicked. Here were strong male characters living with discipline and an almost stoic philosophy - the perfect foundation for romance that could shake them to their core.
She's currently starting book five...
When she's not writing, she's working, spending time with family, promoting books on TikTok, or convincing people that Dagestani fighters make the best romance heroes.
For years, she was active in the fanfiction community, where she learned that the best stories come from deeply understanding and following your characters.
Now, with more time to dedicate to her passion, she's finally publishing her own work.
When she discovered MMA, everything clicked. Here were strong male characters living with discipline and an almost stoic philosophy - the perfect foundation for romance that could shake them to their core.
She's currently starting book five...
When she's not writing, she's working, spending time with family, promoting books on TikTok, or convincing people that Dagestani fighters make the best romance heroes.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 16, 2026
Tell Me: Reign of Krovavy by Layla Cornell absolutely consumed me—body, mind, and whatever fragile sanity I had left.
From the very first page, the blurb promises something dark, layered, and addictive… and somehow, the story still exceeds it. The tension, the danger, the emotional pull—it all hits harder than expected. This isn’t just another dark romance; it’s a deeply woven, unpredictable ride that keeps tightening its grip the further you go.
Timur and Talia? Unreal. The depth in these two is what truly elevates this story. Timur is powerful, controlled, and utterly magnetic, while Talia brings this fierce strength and emotional complexity that refuses to be overshadowed. Their dynamic is intense, raw, and constantly shifting—every interaction feels like it matters. You don’t just read them… you feel them.
And then there’s Rashid.
Listen… I don’t know whether to applaud him or square up. Every scene with him and Talia had me reacting out loud—I swear I wanted to punch him in the face (in the nicest possible way 😌). That kind of emotional reaction? That’s when you know the characters are written too well.
The storyline itself is refreshingly unusual. It doesn’t follow the typical path—you think you know where it’s going, and then it pivots, deepens, and pulls you further under. The snippets and moments teased throughout the book only add to the obsession, leaving you desperate for answers and completely unable to stop turning pages.
I read this as an ARC… and when I say I was captivated, I mean I spiralled. Fully obsessed. To the point where I actually DM’d the author at the cliff hanger and yelled at her (respectfully… kind of). Her response? A laugh and a casual reminder: it’s a series.
Excuse me??
So now I’m here, emotionally compromised, impatiently waiting, and still thinking about these characters long after finishing.
If you’re looking for something gripping, character-driven, and just a little bit unhinged in the best way—this is it.
Consider me hooked.
From the very first page, the blurb promises something dark, layered, and addictive… and somehow, the story still exceeds it. The tension, the danger, the emotional pull—it all hits harder than expected. This isn’t just another dark romance; it’s a deeply woven, unpredictable ride that keeps tightening its grip the further you go.
Timur and Talia? Unreal. The depth in these two is what truly elevates this story. Timur is powerful, controlled, and utterly magnetic, while Talia brings this fierce strength and emotional complexity that refuses to be overshadowed. Their dynamic is intense, raw, and constantly shifting—every interaction feels like it matters. You don’t just read them… you feel them.
And then there’s Rashid.
Listen… I don’t know whether to applaud him or square up. Every scene with him and Talia had me reacting out loud—I swear I wanted to punch him in the face (in the nicest possible way 😌). That kind of emotional reaction? That’s when you know the characters are written too well.
The storyline itself is refreshingly unusual. It doesn’t follow the typical path—you think you know where it’s going, and then it pivots, deepens, and pulls you further under. The snippets and moments teased throughout the book only add to the obsession, leaving you desperate for answers and completely unable to stop turning pages.
I read this as an ARC… and when I say I was captivated, I mean I spiralled. Fully obsessed. To the point where I actually DM’d the author at the cliff hanger and yelled at her (respectfully… kind of). Her response? A laugh and a casual reminder: it’s a series.
Excuse me??
So now I’m here, emotionally compromised, impatiently waiting, and still thinking about these characters long after finishing.
If you’re looking for something gripping, character-driven, and just a little bit unhinged in the best way—this is it.
Consider me hooked.
Review of advance copy
Different.
Definitely different.
And with today situation, i'm afraid it wont be just fiction or far in the future when,
"The AI system has data on all people,"
And "You will be assigned to an eastern owner who you are most compatible with. Your owner's primary duty is to impregnate you. Your role is to bear eastern children."
Talia is a survivor. In a time when women use as spoil of war, Talia is a survivor you want to be if you are in her shoes.
And i love how the author potrayed our leading lady here. Not a warrior with weapons, cunning strategy or elaborate scheme. Just a woman survive as a spoil of war.
"...the line between captivity and love is thinner than anyone dares to admit, and that sometimes, the most dangerous prison is the one we build inside ourselves."
Meanwhile her "owner", The Krovavy, live up his reputation. With everything Talia see him as Timur, he is still the Bloody Krovavy- the war machine.
You wont find sweet nothing romance here. The exact wording, the exact action, even the exact mindset of Timur and his fellow mountain men on women... You will see why Talia is a survivor.
And for that i think i approve how the author put the word owner-property for the men and the spoil of war women. Not man and woman or husband and wife. It goes perfectly well with the fucked up world the athor created in this book.
That ending? The sense of i wish i know its the last time. Or the situation of how the quite before the storm. How Talia wish she look back when he was about to go for the day.... Those feeling the author created on that last scene was more profound than the thunder strike when it finally stroke.
Bravo!
Cant wait for the second book!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Definitely different.
And with today situation, i'm afraid it wont be just fiction or far in the future when,
"The AI system has data on all people,"
And "You will be assigned to an eastern owner who you are most compatible with. Your owner's primary duty is to impregnate you. Your role is to bear eastern children."
Talia is a survivor. In a time when women use as spoil of war, Talia is a survivor you want to be if you are in her shoes.
And i love how the author potrayed our leading lady here. Not a warrior with weapons, cunning strategy or elaborate scheme. Just a woman survive as a spoil of war.
"...the line between captivity and love is thinner than anyone dares to admit, and that sometimes, the most dangerous prison is the one we build inside ourselves."
Meanwhile her "owner", The Krovavy, live up his reputation. With everything Talia see him as Timur, he is still the Bloody Krovavy- the war machine.
You wont find sweet nothing romance here. The exact wording, the exact action, even the exact mindset of Timur and his fellow mountain men on women... You will see why Talia is a survivor.
And for that i think i approve how the author put the word owner-property for the men and the spoil of war women. Not man and woman or husband and wife. It goes perfectly well with the fucked up world the athor created in this book.
That ending? The sense of i wish i know its the last time. Or the situation of how the quite before the storm. How Talia wish she look back when he was about to go for the day.... Those feeling the author created on that last scene was more profound than the thunder strike when it finally stroke.
Bravo!
Cant wait for the second book!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
I received an advanced copy of this book from Pen Pinery in exchange for an honest review, and I am left feeling pretty torn about it. Tell Me: Reign of Krovavy by Layla Cornell is a solid 3-star read for me. It is a very middle-of-the-road book that has an incredible amount of potential and is actually really well-written, but the execution just didn't totally hit the mark.
The setup is what initially hooked me. The story follows Talia, a widow who gets assigned to a brutal mountain soldier named Timur—known as "the Bloody One"—after a massive force invades and uses a cold, calculated AI system to pair people up. I absolutely loved Talia as a main character. She is smart, practical, and has a quiet strength that makes you root for her survival. The author does an amazing job setting the scene, too. The cold, harsh mountain environment feels incredibly real and atmospheric, and the writing style itself is beautiful and kept me turning the pages.
Where the book lost me a bit was the main relationship and the pacing. This is a very dark story, and Timur is incredibly cold and harsh. He doesn't really soften or change, which made it hard for me to feel any genuine connection between them, and it made the romance feel pretty one-sided. On top of that, the middle of the book felt like it was dragging a bit with the day-to-day survival stuff, only to end on a massive, abrupt cliffhanger just as the plot finally started moving.
Overall, it is a well-written book with a great concept, and the author clearly has a lot of talent. It just didn't quite come together perfectly for me. If you like really dark, gritty survival stories with zero sugar-coating, it is definitely worth giving a shot, but for me, it lands right in the middle.
The setup is what initially hooked me. The story follows Talia, a widow who gets assigned to a brutal mountain soldier named Timur—known as "the Bloody One"—after a massive force invades and uses a cold, calculated AI system to pair people up. I absolutely loved Talia as a main character. She is smart, practical, and has a quiet strength that makes you root for her survival. The author does an amazing job setting the scene, too. The cold, harsh mountain environment feels incredibly real and atmospheric, and the writing style itself is beautiful and kept me turning the pages.
Where the book lost me a bit was the main relationship and the pacing. This is a very dark story, and Timur is incredibly cold and harsh. He doesn't really soften or change, which made it hard for me to feel any genuine connection between them, and it made the romance feel pretty one-sided. On top of that, the middle of the book felt like it was dragging a bit with the day-to-day survival stuff, only to end on a massive, abrupt cliffhanger just as the plot finally started moving.
Overall, it is a well-written book with a great concept, and the author clearly has a lot of talent. It just didn't quite come together perfectly for me. If you like really dark, gritty survival stories with zero sugar-coating, it is definitely worth giving a shot, but for me, it lands right in the middle.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Layla Cornell has such an engaging writing style, and once again I found myself completely immersed in the story. The pacing is smooth, the plot flows effortlessly, and I ended up reading this in a single sitting because I just couldn’t put it down.
The premise is fascinating: Talia and Timur are deemed compatible by the National Government AI system, and from that moment Talia becomes Timur’s property. It’s a dark, dystopian setup that immediately pulls you in.
That said, parts of this book were well outside my comfort zone. The relationship dynamic is incredibly brutal, with Timur being a dominant, emotionally detached mountain man who maintains complete control throughout. If you’re expecting a traditional romance, this isn’t it. The romance is very one-sided, with Talia gradually growing to love Timur while he remains largely unemotional. I admired Talia’s resilience and determination to survive, making the best of the life she has been forced into.
The ending completely caught me off guard and left me desperate to know what happens next. I definitely need book two as soon as possible!
Thank you to the author for the ARC. This review reflects my honest thoughts.
Layla Cornell has such an engaging writing style, and once again I found myself completely immersed in the story. The pacing is smooth, the plot flows effortlessly, and I ended up reading this in a single sitting because I just couldn’t put it down.
The premise is fascinating: Talia and Timur are deemed compatible by the National Government AI system, and from that moment Talia becomes Timur’s property. It’s a dark, dystopian setup that immediately pulls you in.
That said, parts of this book were well outside my comfort zone. The relationship dynamic is incredibly brutal, with Timur being a dominant, emotionally detached mountain man who maintains complete control throughout. If you’re expecting a traditional romance, this isn’t it. The romance is very one-sided, with Talia gradually growing to love Timur while he remains largely unemotional. I admired Talia’s resilience and determination to survive, making the best of the life she has been forced into.
The ending completely caught me off guard and left me desperate to know what happens next. I definitely need book two as soon as possible!
Thank you to the author for the ARC. This review reflects my honest thoughts.
July 15, 2026
'Reign of Krovavy is the first book in the Tell me series, and it ends where good first books should end — in the middle of something that has just become irreversible. It is the beginning of a story about survival, identity, and what it costs to love something that was never supposed to be yours.'
Great start to the series. Look forward to more from this world.
The characters were very complex and compelling and dark and possessive. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building was excellent and impressive. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Great start to the series. Look forward to more from this world.
The characters were very complex and compelling and dark and possessive. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building was excellent and impressive. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 17, 2026
Absolutely phenomenal. Talk about an original and unique story. At first I was a little confused. But I stuck with it, and in no time I was completely immersed in this. The world building was excellent. It was so descriptive that I could see it play out in my mind beautifully. I loved the characters and the depth that was put into each of them. The storyline was awesome, and I was so content just sitting and being a part of this world while I read. The suspense and intrigue that this offered had me turning the pages not wanting to put it down. The tension played out nicely brightly and I had a love/hate relationship with one in particular. Iykyk. But overall, this was an absolutely amazing story and I loved every minute of it.
July 2, 2026
💚ARC REVIEW💚
Title: Tell Me: Reign of Krovavy
ARC Provided By: Layla Cornell
Release Date: 07|15|2026
Genre: Dark Dystopian Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book Type: Book 1 | Series
Oh. My. God. What did I just read 😲
First, this was intense and dark and I loved every bit of it. The fact that there were war letters included were so fun because they were filled with banter and shit talking that just made the story even better.
I honestly can’t believe the ending because while I felt it was a possibility, I just don’t want to believe it. I can’t. I CAN’T YOU HEAR ME?!! 😭😭
Thank you so much Author Layla Cornell for the arc! I can’t wait for book two!
Title: Tell Me: Reign of Krovavy
ARC Provided By: Layla Cornell
Release Date: 07|15|2026
Genre: Dark Dystopian Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book Type: Book 1 | Series
Oh. My. God. What did I just read 😲
First, this was intense and dark and I loved every bit of it. The fact that there were war letters included were so fun because they were filled with banter and shit talking that just made the story even better.
I honestly can’t believe the ending because while I felt it was a possibility, I just don’t want to believe it. I can’t. I CAN’T YOU HEAR ME?!! 😭😭
Thank you so much Author Layla Cornell for the arc! I can’t wait for book two!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Talia & Timur OMG! 😬 what a book. I went back and forth with this one. Do I love it, don’t I love it. I think I’m still processing what I read (but definitely in a good way)
I still haven’t decided if I love or hate Timur. Talia and Rashid’s banter had me laughing throughout this book. And Ramzan…what can I say? I just need to know more.
The ending left me asking so many questions, which I won’t share as I don’t want to give away any spoilers. All I can say is I am waiting with anticipation for book 2 in the Tell Me series ♥️
I still haven’t decided if I love or hate Timur. Talia and Rashid’s banter had me laughing throughout this book. And Ramzan…what can I say? I just need to know more.
The ending left me asking so many questions, which I won’t share as I don’t want to give away any spoilers. All I can say is I am waiting with anticipation for book 2 in the Tell Me series ♥️
July 16, 2026
Wow okay this is definitely intense, dark and full of banter.
Basically the story is about Talia and Timur being paired together because of a government AI system and Talia is Timur's property. She eventually falls for Timur. Definitely not your typical romance.
That ending though I have so many questions...
I definitely struggled with it being outside my comfort zone but I still enjoyed this book overall. I look forward to the next one.
Basically the story is about Talia and Timur being paired together because of a government AI system and Talia is Timur's property. She eventually falls for Timur. Definitely not your typical romance.
That ending though I have so many questions...
I definitely struggled with it being outside my comfort zone but I still enjoyed this book overall. I look forward to the next one.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC reader review:
Wow, just wow! Love, love, love this book!
I fell in love with Rashid and Talias friendship, witty jabs and playful banter had my laughing constantly. The slight show of gentleness by Timur towards Talia, very very slight! I’d love a book on Razman and Rashid too!!
Great read, I enjoyed it!
Wow, just wow! Love, love, love this book!
I fell in love with Rashid and Talias friendship, witty jabs and playful banter had my laughing constantly. The slight show of gentleness by Timur towards Talia, very very slight! I’d love a book on Razman and Rashid too!!
Great read, I enjoyed it!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Arc read.
The MMC was a bit too rough for me. I prefer a MMC that shows love even possessive and not normal this one felt less romantic and in love. He was more of a you are my possession that's that type. Even with that I had to know how it ended and the plot is good. If you like a MMC that is this way and you don't mind a cheater then I highly suggest this book.
The MMC was a bit too rough for me. I prefer a MMC that shows love even possessive and not normal this one felt less romantic and in love. He was more of a you are my possession that's that type. Even with that I had to know how it ended and the plot is good. If you like a MMC that is this way and you don't mind a cheater then I highly suggest this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ugh. This book drug me through it. I was so mad a both of them most of the book, but I also couldn’t stop reading. The relationship with Rashid and Talia had me giggling. I need more of Rashid. Or maybe I need Talia to break down Ramzan. I’m not sure which, but I know I do need more!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Very well written left me wanting to read more.
July 13, 2026
2 nd book please.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews