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Scarred Souls #1-2
Scarred Souls: Raze & Reap
The first two books in the Scarred Souls series, in one volume!
RAZE
One man stripped of his freedom, his morals... his life. Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge... bloody, slow and violent revenge. Revenge on the man who wronged him.
Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill 'The Silencer' Volkov, head of the infamous 'Red' bosses of New York's Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it's a virtual prison. Her father's savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring-The Dungeon-ensures too many enemies lurk at their door. She dreams to be set free. Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. While working for her church-the only reprieve in her constant surveillance-Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn't talk. Doesn't communicate with anyone. He's a man beyond saving. But Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man... ... this man they call Raze.
REAP
Raised as a prototype for the Georgian Bratva's obedience drug, 221 fails to think, act or live for himself; his master's perfectly-crafted killing puppet. Standing at six foot six, weighing two-hundred and fifty pounds, and unrivalled in to-the-death combat, 221 successfully secures business for, the Georgian Mafiya Boss of NYC, in the dark world of the criminal underground. Until his enemies capture him.
Talia Tolstoi dreams to break from the heavy clutches of Bratva life and dreams of another life-away from the stifling leash of her Russian Bratva Boss father, from the brutality of her work at The Dungeon-her criminal family's underground death match enterprise. But when she stumbles upon her family's captive who is more monster than man, she starts to see the man underneath. A powerful, beautiful, damaged man whose heart calls to hers.
RAZE
One man stripped of his freedom, his morals... his life. Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge... bloody, slow and violent revenge. Revenge on the man who wronged him.
Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill 'The Silencer' Volkov, head of the infamous 'Red' bosses of New York's Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it's a virtual prison. Her father's savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring-The Dungeon-ensures too many enemies lurk at their door. She dreams to be set free. Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. While working for her church-the only reprieve in her constant surveillance-Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn't talk. Doesn't communicate with anyone. He's a man beyond saving. But Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man... ... this man they call Raze.
REAP
Raised as a prototype for the Georgian Bratva's obedience drug, 221 fails to think, act or live for himself; his master's perfectly-crafted killing puppet. Standing at six foot six, weighing two-hundred and fifty pounds, and unrivalled in to-the-death combat, 221 successfully secures business for, the Georgian Mafiya Boss of NYC, in the dark world of the criminal underground. Until his enemies capture him.
Talia Tolstoi dreams to break from the heavy clutches of Bratva life and dreams of another life-away from the stifling leash of her Russian Bratva Boss father, from the brutality of her work at The Dungeon-her criminal family's underground death match enterprise. But when she stumbles upon her family's captive who is more monster than man, she starts to see the man underneath. A powerful, beautiful, damaged man whose heart calls to hers.
498 pages, ebook
First published March 29, 2016
42 people are currently reading
2468 people want to read
About the author
Tillie Cole
56 books26.1k followersAmazon & USA Today Best Selling Author, Tillie Cole, is a Northern girl through and through. She originates from a place called Teesside on that little but awesomely sunny (okay I exaggerate) Isle called Great Britain. She was brought up surrounded by her English rose mother -- a farmer's daughter, her crazy Scottish father, a savagely sarcastic sister and a multitude of rescue animals and horses.
Being a scary blend of Scottish and English, Tillie embraces both cultures; her English heritage through her love of HP sauce and freshly made Yorkshire Puddings, and her Scottish which is mostly demonstrated by her frighteningly foul-mouthed episodes of pure rage and her much loved dirty jokes.
Having been born and raised as a Teesside Smoggie, Tillie, at age nineteen, moved forty miles north to the 'Toon', Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where she attended Newcastle University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Religious Studies. She returned two years later to complete a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching High School Social Studies. Tillie, regards Newcastle to be a home from home and enjoyed the Newcastle Geordie way of life for seven 'proper mint' and 'lush' years.
One summers day, after finishing reading her thousandth book on her much loved and treasured Kindle, Tillie turned to her husband and declared, "D'you know, I have a great idea for a story. I could write a book." Several months later, after repeating the same tired line at the close of another completed story, she was scolded by her husband to shut up talking about writing a novel and "just bloody do it!" For the first time in eleven years, Tillie actually took his advice (he is still trying to get over the shock) and immediately set off on a crazy journey, delving deep into her fertile imagination.
Tillie, ever since, has written from the heart. She combines her passion for anything camp and glittery with her love of humour and dark brooding men (most often muscled and tattooed – they’re her weakness!). She also has a serious side (believe it or not!) and loves to immerse herself in the complex study of World Religions, History and Cultural Studies and creates fantasy stories that enable her to thread serious issues and topics into her writing -- yep, there's more to this girl than profanity and sparkles!
After six years of teaching high school Social Studies and following her Professional Rugby Player husband around Europe, they have finally given up their nomadic way of life and settled in Calgary, Alberta where Tillie spends most of her days (and many a late night) lost in a writing euphoria or pursuing a dazzling career as a barrel-racing, tasselled-chap wearing, Stetson-sporting cowgirl... Ye-haw!
Being a scary blend of Scottish and English, Tillie embraces both cultures; her English heritage through her love of HP sauce and freshly made Yorkshire Puddings, and her Scottish which is mostly demonstrated by her frighteningly foul-mouthed episodes of pure rage and her much loved dirty jokes.
Having been born and raised as a Teesside Smoggie, Tillie, at age nineteen, moved forty miles north to the 'Toon', Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where she attended Newcastle University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Religious Studies. She returned two years later to complete a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching High School Social Studies. Tillie, regards Newcastle to be a home from home and enjoyed the Newcastle Geordie way of life for seven 'proper mint' and 'lush' years.
One summers day, after finishing reading her thousandth book on her much loved and treasured Kindle, Tillie turned to her husband and declared, "D'you know, I have a great idea for a story. I could write a book." Several months later, after repeating the same tired line at the close of another completed story, she was scolded by her husband to shut up talking about writing a novel and "just bloody do it!" For the first time in eleven years, Tillie actually took his advice (he is still trying to get over the shock) and immediately set off on a crazy journey, delving deep into her fertile imagination.
Tillie, ever since, has written from the heart. She combines her passion for anything camp and glittery with her love of humour and dark brooding men (most often muscled and tattooed – they’re her weakness!). She also has a serious side (believe it or not!) and loves to immerse herself in the complex study of World Religions, History and Cultural Studies and creates fantasy stories that enable her to thread serious issues and topics into her writing -- yep, there's more to this girl than profanity and sparkles!
After six years of teaching high school Social Studies and following her Professional Rugby Player husband around Europe, they have finally given up their nomadic way of life and settled in Calgary, Alberta where Tillie spends most of her days (and many a late night) lost in a writing euphoria or pursuing a dazzling career as a barrel-racing, tasselled-chap wearing, Stetson-sporting cowgirl... Ye-haw!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
March 30, 2016
*** ARC kindly provided by the publisher St. Martin's Press, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. ***
This review could be really short because the word "PERFECT!" would be sufficient! Wow! I really loved her Hades Hangmen series and I already read RAZE about a year ago and loved it too. So when this bundle showed on NetGalley I just had to request it!
So I read RAZE about a year ago and since I have read so many books but RAZE is a book that stays with you. I still remember so much about it! Initially I wanted to reread it but because of limited time I started REAP immediately.
RAZE and REAP are both wonderful books with great characters, a terrific story, wonderful descriptive parts, lots of suspense, chemistry, angst, darkness, strong main characters, ...
I expected REAP to be the story of Zaal and Talia but I was so happy to find lots of Raze and Kisa in it! Yay! I'm really looking forward to the third book and hope that it's about Zoya!
The only thing I would have loved different is a bigger epilogue in Reap so I hope to hear more about Luka, Zaal, Kisa and Talie in the third book "Ravage". Let it soon be August 16 2016 =D
Another great book by Tillie Cole with a well deserved 5 stars!! Unforgettable!.
This review could be really short because the word "PERFECT!" would be sufficient! Wow! I really loved her Hades Hangmen series and I already read RAZE about a year ago and loved it too. So when this bundle showed on NetGalley I just had to request it!
So I read RAZE about a year ago and since I have read so many books but RAZE is a book that stays with you. I still remember so much about it! Initially I wanted to reread it but because of limited time I started REAP immediately.
RAZE and REAP are both wonderful books with great characters, a terrific story, wonderful descriptive parts, lots of suspense, chemistry, angst, darkness, strong main characters, ...
I expected REAP to be the story of Zaal and Talia but I was so happy to find lots of Raze and Kisa in it! Yay! I'm really looking forward to the third book and hope that it's about Zoya!
The only thing I would have loved different is a bigger epilogue in Reap so I hope to hear more about Luka, Zaal, Kisa and Talie in the third book "Ravage". Let it soon be August 16 2016 =D
Another great book by Tillie Cole with a well deserved 5 stars!! Unforgettable!.
November 3, 2016
My reviews individually...
Raze
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Reap
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 10, 2021
I never take my eyes off the walking dead.
3.5 🌟
(4 🌟 for Raze, 3 🌟 for Reap)
Raze started out really fascinating. Sick, stomach turning and violent but fascinating. I don't remember ever reading about the mafia like this. If you're looking for trigger warnings for the whole series: I didn't find any in the book and this list is in no way complete but it includes fighting to the death, slavery, rape, a more than toxic relationship, drugs...
Raze and Kisa are part of what makes this book so captivating. They go through some development which I kinda hoped would in another way but under the circumstances... The writing was good also and I just could not put this down!
Reap stars similarly to Raze but it has a completely different feel to it. 221 has suffered through something very similar yet really different stuff than Raze. And Talia and Risa may be best friends but they're not the same. They were still great but I didn't feel the same pull. It was less about breaking free than about the aftermath of everything. Still disturbing but not as bloody, not so violent all the time. I'm not saying it's less good than the first one but I wasn't as hooked. What totally got me hooked again was the epilogue. It was really lucky that I had ordered the whole series.
Something I have to mention: I hate how women are treated in these books. Not (only) about the couples who are the focus but the whole system they live in.
August 9, 2016
Review in english and portuguese.
Resenha em inglês e português.
*Ebook provided by St. Martin's Press through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!!
5 stars
I never had read anything by Tillie Cole. A lot of people talk to me about it and it was on my TBR list, but I always postponed. When I got the chance to read this especial edition, I thought it was the best opportunity to finally read something from this author.
I wasn't in the mood to read anything but it was cold and nothing on TV and I thought "let's read this and see for myself if it is as good as everyone says".
At the first pages of Raze I wasn't still in the mood to read anything. It was me, I know, but that didn't last long. After the prologue, at the beginning of the first chapter, I got hooked more and more and only stopped at the end of Raze.
Wow.
WTF.
This book!
For someone that didn't want to read anything I was putting down my kindle at 6 am. I am so happy it wasn't just good. It wasn't " it's OK. I like it". I was mesmerized with the way this author writes making me addicted to the words that I only remember to go to the bathroom and drink water.
About the story, you can figure out what was the big mistery with Raze at the beginning. I don´t think it was the author's idea to make it a hard one to guess. It was frustrating to read about everything that happened to him. It was hard to watch Kisa not knowing for sure. And also it was very easy to hate Alik. My God! What a cruel man! Idiot, heartless, pain in the a$$ but also a very well written character.
It was frustrating read about Kisa taking so much, knowing she is not weak like that. I wanted to get in the book and scream with her "put some big girls pants!!!" lol. But its about the Russian Mafia we are talking about, right. You don't want to mess wtih it.
The author created a world of the Bratva in New York in a way that was so real. So cruel. But also quite interesting to read.
The book has a dark vibe, but it's definitely a love story. A hot romance. OMG! Super hot ...
And then... REAP. Another guy from the underworld used to fight and kill. Someone who, like Raze didn't know much about the world. Only knew the blood on his hands. And REAP was so good to read as RAZE. I can't even choose one to say I liked the most.
I loved that the book, while focusing on another daughter of the Bratva mafia, it didn't forget the characters of the first book. It was good to see that sequence. See that they were not forgotten. In fact, they were very important in this story too.
Many books that got this dark side ends dividing the subject like some parts about the obscure scenes and some parts about the love. What I enjoyed most here was that despite all the tension these characters lived, the romance was the strongest part, excelled in these stories.
And what about the women? I loved that the "broken" here were the men and the women were the strong who tried to save them. Both Kisa and Talia were powerful and fought for what they wanted. And although the men were physically strongest than anyone, in a way, they were also innocent.
And what about the end!!? I didn't know it would have book 3! I was already prepared to write "it was beautiful! Everything is beautiful. I loooooved it" and then comes that last page. OMG !!!! What about it? Now I have another book that I'm desperate to read in my TBR list.
Do I recommend it? Hmm ... Of course! I can only say that this duo was the first book I read of the author and that caused a pretty excellent feeling. Tillie Cole just got a new fan.
---------
*Ebook fornecido pela St. Martin's Press através do Netgalley para uma resenha honesta. Obrigada!!!
5 estrelas
Nunca havia lido nada da Tillie Cole. Muita gente falando bem e estava na lista para ler, mas sempre adiei. Quando recebi a oportunidade de ler essa edição especial, foi o "empurrão" que tava precisando pra ler.
Esses dias, eu nem estava muito afim de ler nada. Mas tava frio, sem nada na TV e rolou um "ah, vamo ver se esse é bom, né".
As primeiras páginas de Raze não me prenderam, mas não acho que foi por causa do livro, era eu que não tava no clima de ler. Entretanto, isso não durou. Passado o prólogo, começando o primeiro capítulo, fui fisgada cada vez mais por essa história é só parei quando cheguei no final de Raze.
Uau.
Pqp.
Que livro!
Pra uma pessoa que não tava no clima de ler fui fechar o livro quase 6 horas da manhã. E estou tão feliz que não foi só bom. Não foi só " ah, gostei. Legalzim". Me surpreendi com a escrita da autora, com o jeito que ela conduziu a história me fazendo viciar naquelas páginas que só larguei pra ir ao banheiro e beber água.
Quanto a história, já dá pra sacar qual é o mistério de Raze logo no começo, mas acho que não era intenção da autora esconder. Foi frustrante ler tudo que aconteceu com ele. Foi tenso ver a Kisa naquele "será?". E também foi muito fácil odiar o Alik. Meu Deus! Que homem cruel. Idiota, sem coracao, fdp, mas, também, um personagem muito bem construído.
Foi frustrante ver a Kisa aceitar tanta coisa, sabendo que não era quem ela era de verdade. Quis ir lá dar na cara dela tipo "cadê seus colhões, mulher?" rsrs. Mas a gente tá falando de máfia Russa, né. Não dá pra brincar com isso.
A autora criou esse mundo dos Bratva em Nova York de uma maneira que ficou tão real. Tão cruel. Mas também bastante interessante de se ler.
O livro tem umas pitadas de dark, mas é definitivamente um romance. Um romance quente. Pqp. Super hot...
E então veio o livro REAP. Outro cara do submundo usado para lutar e matar. Alguém que, como o personagem de Raze, não conhecia direito o mundo. Que só conhecia o sangue nas mãos. E Reap foi tão bom de ler quanto Raze. Não sei dizer de qual gostei mais.
Adorei que o livro, apesar de focar na outra filha dos Bratva, não deixa de dar - e muita - atenção aos personagens do primeiro livro. Foi bom ver essa sequência. Ver que não foram esquecidos. Na verdade, foram super importantes na condução da história.
Muitos livros que tem essa pitada obscura acabam dividindo o tema ficando ora no que é mais pesado e em outra parte no amor. O que mais curti aqui foi que apesar de toda tensão que aqueles personagens viviam o romance foi o mais forte, o que sobressaiu nessas histórias.
E as mulheres? Adorei que os "quebrados" aqui eram os homens e as mulheres eram as fortes que tentavam salvá-los. Tanto Kisa quanto Talia foram poderosas e lutaram pelo que queriam. E, apesar dos homens serem uns paredões que conseguem se defender sozinhos, de certa forma, eram inocentes também.
E esse final!!? Eu não sabia que ia ter livro 3! Já tava preparada pra escrever " aí que lindo! Tudo lindo. Ameiiiiiiii" e aí vem aquela última pagina. OMG!!!! Como assim? Agora tenho mais um livro que tô desesperada-pra-ler na lista.
Se recomendo? Hum... Claro! Só posso dizer que esse duo foi o primeiro livro que li da autora e que causou uma bela de excelente impressão. Tillie Cole ganhou uma fã.
----------------------
* Pick a Book
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pb.responde@gmail.com
Resenha em inglês e português.
*Ebook provided by St. Martin's Press through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!!
5 stars
I never had read anything by Tillie Cole. A lot of people talk to me about it and it was on my TBR list, but I always postponed. When I got the chance to read this especial edition, I thought it was the best opportunity to finally read something from this author.
I wasn't in the mood to read anything but it was cold and nothing on TV and I thought "let's read this and see for myself if it is as good as everyone says".
At the first pages of Raze I wasn't still in the mood to read anything. It was me, I know, but that didn't last long. After the prologue, at the beginning of the first chapter, I got hooked more and more and only stopped at the end of Raze.
Wow.
WTF.
This book!
For someone that didn't want to read anything I was putting down my kindle at 6 am. I am so happy it wasn't just good. It wasn't " it's OK. I like it". I was mesmerized with the way this author writes making me addicted to the words that I only remember to go to the bathroom and drink water.
About the story, you can figure out what was the big mistery with Raze at the beginning. I don´t think it was the author's idea to make it a hard one to guess. It was frustrating to read about everything that happened to him. It was hard to watch Kisa not knowing for sure. And also it was very easy to hate Alik. My God! What a cruel man! Idiot, heartless, pain in the a$$ but also a very well written character.
It was frustrating read about Kisa taking so much, knowing she is not weak like that. I wanted to get in the book and scream with her "put some big girls pants!!!" lol. But its about the Russian Mafia we are talking about, right. You don't want to mess wtih it.
The author created a world of the Bratva in New York in a way that was so real. So cruel. But also quite interesting to read.
The book has a dark vibe, but it's definitely a love story. A hot romance. OMG! Super hot ...
And then... REAP. Another guy from the underworld used to fight and kill. Someone who, like Raze didn't know much about the world. Only knew the blood on his hands. And REAP was so good to read as RAZE. I can't even choose one to say I liked the most.
I loved that the book, while focusing on another daughter of the Bratva mafia, it didn't forget the characters of the first book. It was good to see that sequence. See that they were not forgotten. In fact, they were very important in this story too.
Many books that got this dark side ends dividing the subject like some parts about the obscure scenes and some parts about the love. What I enjoyed most here was that despite all the tension these characters lived, the romance was the strongest part, excelled in these stories.
And what about the women? I loved that the "broken" here were the men and the women were the strong who tried to save them. Both Kisa and Talia were powerful and fought for what they wanted. And although the men were physically strongest than anyone, in a way, they were also innocent.
And what about the end!!? I didn't know it would have book 3! I was already prepared to write "it was beautiful! Everything is beautiful. I loooooved it" and then comes that last page. OMG !!!! What about it? Now I have another book that I'm desperate to read in my TBR list.
Do I recommend it? Hmm ... Of course! I can only say that this duo was the first book I read of the author and that caused a pretty excellent feeling. Tillie Cole just got a new fan.
---------
*Ebook fornecido pela St. Martin's Press através do Netgalley para uma resenha honesta. Obrigada!!!
5 estrelas
Nunca havia lido nada da Tillie Cole. Muita gente falando bem e estava na lista para ler, mas sempre adiei. Quando recebi a oportunidade de ler essa edição especial, foi o "empurrão" que tava precisando pra ler.
Esses dias, eu nem estava muito afim de ler nada. Mas tava frio, sem nada na TV e rolou um "ah, vamo ver se esse é bom, né".
As primeiras páginas de Raze não me prenderam, mas não acho que foi por causa do livro, era eu que não tava no clima de ler. Entretanto, isso não durou. Passado o prólogo, começando o primeiro capítulo, fui fisgada cada vez mais por essa história é só parei quando cheguei no final de Raze.
Uau.
Pqp.
Que livro!
Pra uma pessoa que não tava no clima de ler fui fechar o livro quase 6 horas da manhã. E estou tão feliz que não foi só bom. Não foi só " ah, gostei. Legalzim". Me surpreendi com a escrita da autora, com o jeito que ela conduziu a história me fazendo viciar naquelas páginas que só larguei pra ir ao banheiro e beber água.
Quanto a história, já dá pra sacar qual é o mistério de Raze logo no começo, mas acho que não era intenção da autora esconder. Foi frustrante ler tudo que aconteceu com ele. Foi tenso ver a Kisa naquele "será?". E também foi muito fácil odiar o Alik. Meu Deus! Que homem cruel. Idiota, sem coracao, fdp, mas, também, um personagem muito bem construído.
Foi frustrante ver a Kisa aceitar tanta coisa, sabendo que não era quem ela era de verdade. Quis ir lá dar na cara dela tipo "cadê seus colhões, mulher?" rsrs. Mas a gente tá falando de máfia Russa, né. Não dá pra brincar com isso.
A autora criou esse mundo dos Bratva em Nova York de uma maneira que ficou tão real. Tão cruel. Mas também bastante interessante de se ler.
O livro tem umas pitadas de dark, mas é definitivamente um romance. Um romance quente. Pqp. Super hot...
E então veio o livro REAP. Outro cara do submundo usado para lutar e matar. Alguém que, como o personagem de Raze, não conhecia direito o mundo. Que só conhecia o sangue nas mãos. E Reap foi tão bom de ler quanto Raze. Não sei dizer de qual gostei mais.
Adorei que o livro, apesar de focar na outra filha dos Bratva, não deixa de dar - e muita - atenção aos personagens do primeiro livro. Foi bom ver essa sequência. Ver que não foram esquecidos. Na verdade, foram super importantes na condução da história.
Muitos livros que tem essa pitada obscura acabam dividindo o tema ficando ora no que é mais pesado e em outra parte no amor. O que mais curti aqui foi que apesar de toda tensão que aqueles personagens viviam o romance foi o mais forte, o que sobressaiu nessas histórias.
E as mulheres? Adorei que os "quebrados" aqui eram os homens e as mulheres eram as fortes que tentavam salvá-los. Tanto Kisa quanto Talia foram poderosas e lutaram pelo que queriam. E, apesar dos homens serem uns paredões que conseguem se defender sozinhos, de certa forma, eram inocentes também.
E esse final!!? Eu não sabia que ia ter livro 3! Já tava preparada pra escrever " aí que lindo! Tudo lindo. Ameiiiiiiii" e aí vem aquela última pagina. OMG!!!! Como assim? Agora tenho mais um livro que tô desesperada-pra-ler na lista.
Se recomendo? Hum... Claro! Só posso dizer que esse duo foi o primeiro livro que li da autora e que causou uma bela de excelente impressão. Tillie Cole ganhou uma fã.
----------------------
* Pick a Book
facebook / instagram / twitter
pb.responde@gmail.com
May 25, 2019
BOOK 1- Raze
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was so freaking good, i loved the characters especially raze. It was extremely dark and violent but i still loved it.
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was so freaking good, i loved the characters especially raze. It was extremely dark and violent but i still loved it.
June 10, 2016
2.75 stars!
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This review concerns both of the books.
I know I am the exception when I say that none of these books actually touched me emotionally and they didn't work for me. Most of the Rage, I couldn't understand the connection among the hero and the heroine since they had changed so much for so different reasons. Then the heroine upset me with her actions and lack of her reactions.
Reap felt even worse for me. I couldn't understand how or when the connection among the hero and the heroine happened taking into consideration the situation of the hero. It just didn't feel right for so many different reasons that I won't say in order to avoid the spoilers. The insta-love in this book was over the top in my eyes.
There is a story in these books but again it felt weak and exaggerated. Reap cannot be read as stand-alone in my opinion as you need to know what happened in Rage to understand it better and there are lots of references to it! The writing was kind of poetic but it never actually reached my heart. Both of the books are written by a dual POV among the heroes with references and flash backs to the past.
The end of Reap is actually the start of the third book of Scarred Souls.
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This review concerns both of the books.
I know I am the exception when I say that none of these books actually touched me emotionally and they didn't work for me. Most of the Rage, I couldn't understand the connection among the hero and the heroine since they had changed so much for so different reasons. Then the heroine upset me with her actions and lack of her reactions.
Reap felt even worse for me. I couldn't understand how or when the connection among the hero and the heroine happened taking into consideration the situation of the hero. It just didn't feel right for so many different reasons that I won't say in order to avoid the spoilers. The insta-love in this book was over the top in my eyes.
There is a story in these books but again it felt weak and exaggerated. Reap cannot be read as stand-alone in my opinion as you need to know what happened in Rage to understand it better and there are lots of references to it! The writing was kind of poetic but it never actually reached my heart. Both of the books are written by a dual POV among the heroes with references and flash backs to the past.
The end of Reap is actually the start of the third book of Scarred Souls.
July 31, 2016
3.5 stars!
3 stars for Raze:
This one was an interesting read. I wanted a Tille Cole fix because I had just finished her Hades Hangmen series. I felt like this one was a little too dark for me and many things happened that I didn't like. The girl was really docile and submissive and defined what a woman of the past was. She served men, never questioned them but she owned an underground arena....
And Luka was alright...I liked him more than the girl. I really enjoyed how he was uncovering his past life and his fighting. Cole really wrote the fight scenes really, really well!
4 stars for Reap:
I really liked this one!! Zaal!! I loved him! He was so great. I loved his feelings for Talia and I loved how their story was uncovered. But and this is a big but, their love story developed so quickly. I felt like it was in a turn of a page, when she went down the stairs to see Zaal and BAM! They were feelings things that seemed a lot like love. For a man who knew no affection, he fell in love so quickly.
But I did like their story and the plot in their book and the conflict flowed really well. Once I got over the quickness of their love story, I throughly enjoyed it!
3 stars for Raze:
This one was an interesting read. I wanted a Tille Cole fix because I had just finished her Hades Hangmen series. I felt like this one was a little too dark for me and many things happened that I didn't like. The girl was really docile and submissive and defined what a woman of the past was. She served men, never questioned them but she owned an underground arena....
And Luka was alright...I liked him more than the girl. I really enjoyed how he was uncovering his past life and his fighting. Cole really wrote the fight scenes really, really well!
4 stars for Reap:
I really liked this one!! Zaal!! I loved him! He was so great. I loved his feelings for Talia and I loved how their story was uncovered. But and this is a big but, their love story developed so quickly. I felt like it was in a turn of a page, when she went down the stairs to see Zaal and BAM! They were feelings things that seemed a lot like love. For a man who knew no affection, he fell in love so quickly.
But I did like their story and the plot in their book and the conflict flowed really well. Once I got over the quickness of their love story, I throughly enjoyed it!
January 7, 2016
My review of Raze:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and my review of Reap:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and my review of Reap:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 6, 2016
Rating for Raze: 2,5 stars
Review for Raze:
I loved the cover of the dual book and I wanted to try something new. Also the synopsis sounded interesting, so I found myself requesting this on NetGalley. I liked this book, but partly I am also disappointed by this book.
I liked Raze as a tortured hero, but I lost my interest in him, when he started to get his memories back. I never like the whole "hero has amnesia and then remembers his old life"-plot. After that the hero always turns into a different person. Didn't quite happen here, meaning Raze remained Raze, but still I wasn't a fan of that.
What also bothered me was Raze's?...Raze'ses?... the hero's real name, which I won't mention here because I don't want to ruin the book for you. I liked the name Raze a lot more, sounded more dangerous.
The heroine Kisa was a weak damsel in distress in my opinion, even though she is the daughter of the Bratva king and leads an illegal death fighting ring. I felt sorry for her though, she gets a lot of abused in this book.
The bad guy... come on, I was quite obvious that HE was the bad guy of the whole story. Nothing exiting there.
One thing I liked about the book though was the writing style. It drew me in from the very first page and I read the book in nearly one sitting.
If you like Mafia books about second chances and dirty fights, you will probably like this. I for my part am not sure what I actually feel about this book and if I would read the second book, but since this is a dual book, I will.
Rating for Reap: DNF
Review for Reap:
I liked the previous book Raze enough to finish it, but Reap … I couldn’t finish it. Once I reached 25% I had enough. I felt not one bit connect to the main characters Talia and Zaal, nor did I like them.
Also I wasn’t as invested into the story as I was with book #1, so I decided to quit. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I will change my mind while reading on.
~ Book provided by NetGalley ~
For more reviews, visit Bookgatherer.
Review for Raze:
I loved the cover of the dual book and I wanted to try something new. Also the synopsis sounded interesting, so I found myself requesting this on NetGalley. I liked this book, but partly I am also disappointed by this book.
I liked Raze as a tortured hero, but I lost my interest in him, when he started to get his memories back. I never like the whole "hero has amnesia and then remembers his old life"-plot. After that the hero always turns into a different person. Didn't quite happen here, meaning Raze remained Raze, but still I wasn't a fan of that.
What also bothered me was Raze's?...Raze'ses?... the hero's real name, which I won't mention here because I don't want to ruin the book for you. I liked the name Raze a lot more, sounded more dangerous.
The heroine Kisa was a weak damsel in distress in my opinion, even though she is the daughter of the Bratva king and leads an illegal death fighting ring. I felt sorry for her though, she gets a lot of abused in this book.
The bad guy... come on, I was quite obvious that HE was the bad guy of the whole story. Nothing exiting there.
One thing I liked about the book though was the writing style. It drew me in from the very first page and I read the book in nearly one sitting.
If you like Mafia books about second chances and dirty fights, you will probably like this. I for my part am not sure what I actually feel about this book and if I would read the second book, but since this is a dual book, I will.
Rating for Reap: DNF
Review for Reap:
I liked the previous book Raze enough to finish it, but Reap … I couldn’t finish it. Once I reached 25% I had enough. I felt not one bit connect to the main characters Talia and Zaal, nor did I like them.
Also I wasn’t as invested into the story as I was with book #1, so I decided to quit. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I will change my mind while reading on.
~ Book provided by NetGalley ~
For more reviews, visit Bookgatherer.
January 8, 2017
~~~ 5 (I love scarred alphas) stars~~~
So, I've read Raze a while ago and loved it. Then, one of my reading buddies gifted me this precious paperback.
You know who you are, sweets and I mucho thank you again!!! xoxo
Days passed and I eyed this baby, stroking its cover and calling it my precious. The thing is, I'm a mafia(of any kind) whore and I needed to take a breather from that genre. Because unhealthy!!!
But now I fell off the wagon, people. There's no turning back. I know, I know
I think I loved Reap more than Raze. It was not perfect, but I don't ask for much.
Just throw me a tortured, scarred, alpha with a protective, possessive streak, who's growling "Mine!" and I'm fcking sold.
insta-love, googly eyes, swooning and all that $hit.
Now, mix this with the Russian mafia, a stubborn heroine-rebel, the forbidden love, a dose of angst, a bloody fighting and your favorite author and
You're not sold yet??? Wait for it...
Zaal: "You are...for me. No other male. Just me. And me...for you. This is my, 'I love you.' These are my words from my scarred soul. They are not borrowed words, but words from my full heart, and my heart only."
So, I've read Raze a while ago and loved it. Then, one of my reading buddies gifted me this precious paperback.
You know who you are, sweets and I mucho thank you again!!! xoxo
Days passed and I eyed this baby, stroking its cover and calling it my precious. The thing is, I'm a mafia(of any kind) whore and I needed to take a breather from that genre. Because unhealthy!!!
But now I fell off the wagon, people. There's no turning back. I know, I know
I think I loved Reap more than Raze. It was not perfect, but I don't ask for much.
Just throw me a tortured, scarred, alpha with a protective, possessive streak, who's growling "Mine!" and I'm fcking sold.
insta-love, googly eyes, swooning and all that $hit.Now, mix this with the Russian mafia, a stubborn heroine-rebel, the forbidden love, a dose of angst, a bloody fighting and your favorite author and
You're not sold yet??? Wait for it...
Zaal: "You are...for me. No other male. Just me. And me...for you. This is my, 'I love you.' These are my words from my scarred soul. They are not borrowed words, but words from my full heart, and my heart only."
April 10, 2021
TWO BOOKS IN ONE = TWO BOOKBOYFRIENDS 🤷🏻♀️
🖤Raze🖤
Will Tillie Cole just STOP!
Like stop! NOW!
I cannot keep adding her male characters to my book boyfriends! 😱 It’s getting CROWDED! (This is why I haven’t read Cruz untamed because I WILL DIE😳)
Yet again Tillie Cole delivers. Fast-paced, raw and gritty.
Raze broke my heart. .
His story was brutal. And in spite of that he fought for his revenge. For justice. For HIMSELF.
Kisa was a little harder for me to warm up to. I didn’t really connect with her that much. She was an interesting enough character. Strong too in her own way. Maybe strong in a different way from what I am used too.🤔
What mattered the most was that she never lost faith. She was strong enough to not give up. I guess I admire that about her.
Mafia themed books is not my first pick, when it comes to genres, but I do love a good underground fight ring story, and this book totally delivered that. Quite well at that too 👆
Read: 09/05/2018
Genre: Mafia/romance/dark
Cover: 2 stars (it’s slightly bland)
1st. Rating: 5 stars
Will I recommend: Yes, if Tillie Coles name is on it, it s a safe pick.
🖤REAP🖤
I can’t EVEN!
Man, this was SO GOOD!
“You are... for me? “ - I could NOT handle this sentence. Four little words - so much meaning.
The chemistry was BURNING! Just burning !
Such a raw, brutal childhood for 221. Such sadness and strength.
And Talia. Rebel Talia! Fighting for what SHE wants. And the kindness she showed ? Just such a beautiful person.
221 is a prisoner for “Master”. Under the influence of a drug that’s been pumped into his veins for over two decades- he is nothing but a killer. A monster in chains.
Talia is the daughter of a Mafia boss. A daughter who wants nothing more than to feel all consuming love- just like her brother Luka and his soulmate.
Then their fates collide and it’s EVERYTHING. Just everything.
Read: 28/10/2018
Genre: Mafia/romance/dark
1st. Rating: 5 stars
Cover: 3 stars
Will I recommend: Yes- cannot be read as a stand-alone! Start with Raze!
🖤Raze🖤
Will Tillie Cole just STOP!
Like stop! NOW!
I cannot keep adding her male characters to my book boyfriends! 😱 It’s getting CROWDED! (This is why I haven’t read Cruz untamed because I WILL DIE😳)
Yet again Tillie Cole delivers. Fast-paced, raw and gritty.
Raze broke my heart. .
His story was brutal. And in spite of that he fought for his revenge. For justice. For HIMSELF.
Kisa was a little harder for me to warm up to. I didn’t really connect with her that much. She was an interesting enough character. Strong too in her own way. Maybe strong in a different way from what I am used too.🤔
What mattered the most was that she never lost faith. She was strong enough to not give up. I guess I admire that about her.
Mafia themed books is not my first pick, when it comes to genres, but I do love a good underground fight ring story, and this book totally delivered that. Quite well at that too 👆
Read: 09/05/2018
Genre: Mafia/romance/dark
Cover: 2 stars (it’s slightly bland)
1st. Rating: 5 stars
Will I recommend: Yes, if Tillie Coles name is on it, it s a safe pick.
🖤REAP🖤
I can’t EVEN!
Man, this was SO GOOD!
“You are... for me? “ - I could NOT handle this sentence. Four little words - so much meaning.
The chemistry was BURNING! Just burning !
Such a raw, brutal childhood for 221. Such sadness and strength.
And Talia. Rebel Talia! Fighting for what SHE wants. And the kindness she showed ? Just such a beautiful person.
221 is a prisoner for “Master”. Under the influence of a drug that’s been pumped into his veins for over two decades- he is nothing but a killer. A monster in chains.
Talia is the daughter of a Mafia boss. A daughter who wants nothing more than to feel all consuming love- just like her brother Luka and his soulmate.
Then their fates collide and it’s EVERYTHING. Just everything.
Read: 28/10/2018
Genre: Mafia/romance/dark
1st. Rating: 5 stars
Cover: 3 stars
Will I recommend: Yes- cannot be read as a stand-alone! Start with Raze!
January 24, 2021
Raze - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reap - ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Okay, this book has two books in one so the way I'm going to structure this review is I'm going to review book one first with no spoilers. Then I'll review book two and that review will likely have some spoilers for book one. So, if you only want to know what I thought about book one and you don't want any spoilers for book one, stop reading after the first part. Okay! on the the reviews.
In book one, Raze we're introduced to all of our mafia characters as well as the world were in and the idea of the underground death fighting rings that 818/Raze is in. I thought the world was interesting and the set-up was good. This is a sort of insta-love series in that it seems like there a lot of stuff about souls being made for each other and finding each other. I thought this was fine but it's just something to know going in. There is quite a bit of plot stuff in this book and I thought that was interesting. It got a little over the top at times but that was something I more or less expected. There are some parts of this that are genuinely upsetting/sad. This is definitely a dark romance when it comes to what has been done to the characters before they get together.
As far as the relationship goes I enjoyed it. I liked the memory loss stuff and I liked seeing Kisa help Raze with his post-Gulag life. If I'm going to read a book with an amnesia element, I need it to be completely medically inaccurate. Luckily, that mostly what we get here and it worked for me. I liked seeing Raze and Kisa work through their issues. Kisa at the start of this book is engaged to a different man, Alik. He is abusive to her. We get a lot of Raze working through his trauma but we don't get as much from Kisa and I would have liked to see more of that.
The wrap up of this book was good and I was satisfied with the ending. It was interesting to see how the rest of the mafia reacted to Raze and Kisa and I liked the resolution to the Alik and Kisa story line.
Okay now starting the book 2: Reap review.
One complaint I have for this book is that Kisa and Luka are in this book prominently and I found them super annoying in this book. I liked them in the first book but I was just annoyed by Kisa in this book and I found Luka to have had some weird character development I did like the new couple in this book, Talia and Zaal. Just like with book one, I thought the interpersonal stuff was the most fun to read. Nothing her is realistic but I liked the way that it was over the top.
The plot is very, very similar to book one. A lot of similar plot points between these two. I'm curious if that will continue through to the last two books of this series. I'll probably read those sometime next week so I guess I'll find out soon. The ending of this one is a bit different but almost everything else is the same. This similarity didn't bother me much here but if book three is also very similar, I'll start to be a bit annoyed.
I'm trying to finish more series this year and I am excited to finish this seires. I already own book three and I have book four from the library. Nothing in this book was surprising. I don't even know if any of the twists can even be called twists because they're so obvious and I'm pretty sure I already know who book three is about but that doesn't really bother me in romance. Overall, I found these to be very quick, very readable, pretty over-the-top, fairly dark romances and I enjoyed my time with the start of this series.
Reap - ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Okay, this book has two books in one so the way I'm going to structure this review is I'm going to review book one first with no spoilers. Then I'll review book two and that review will likely have some spoilers for book one. So, if you only want to know what I thought about book one and you don't want any spoilers for book one, stop reading after the first part. Okay! on the the reviews.
In book one, Raze we're introduced to all of our mafia characters as well as the world were in and the idea of the underground death fighting rings that 818/Raze is in. I thought the world was interesting and the set-up was good. This is a sort of insta-love series in that it seems like there a lot of stuff about souls being made for each other and finding each other. I thought this was fine but it's just something to know going in. There is quite a bit of plot stuff in this book and I thought that was interesting. It got a little over the top at times but that was something I more or less expected. There are some parts of this that are genuinely upsetting/sad. This is definitely a dark romance when it comes to what has been done to the characters before they get together.
As far as the relationship goes I enjoyed it. I liked the memory loss stuff and I liked seeing Kisa help Raze with his post-Gulag life. If I'm going to read a book with an amnesia element, I need it to be completely medically inaccurate. Luckily, that mostly what we get here and it worked for me. I liked seeing Raze and Kisa work through their issues. Kisa at the start of this book is engaged to a different man, Alik. He is abusive to her. We get a lot of Raze working through his trauma but we don't get as much from Kisa and I would have liked to see more of that.
The wrap up of this book was good and I was satisfied with the ending. It was interesting to see how the rest of the mafia reacted to Raze and Kisa and I liked the resolution to the Alik and Kisa story line.
Okay now starting the book 2: Reap review.
One complaint I have for this book is that Kisa and Luka are in this book prominently and I found them super annoying in this book. I liked them in the first book but I was just annoyed by Kisa in this book and I found Luka to have had some weird character development I did like the new couple in this book, Talia and Zaal. Just like with book one, I thought the interpersonal stuff was the most fun to read. Nothing her is realistic but I liked the way that it was over the top.
The plot is very, very similar to book one. A lot of similar plot points between these two. I'm curious if that will continue through to the last two books of this series. I'll probably read those sometime next week so I guess I'll find out soon. The ending of this one is a bit different but almost everything else is the same. This similarity didn't bother me much here but if book three is also very similar, I'll start to be a bit annoyed.
I'm trying to finish more series this year and I am excited to finish this seires. I already own book three and I have book four from the library. Nothing in this book was surprising. I don't even know if any of the twists can even be called twists because they're so obvious and I'm pretty sure I already know who book three is about but that doesn't really bother me in romance. Overall, I found these to be very quick, very readable, pretty over-the-top, fairly dark romances and I enjoyed my time with the start of this series.
April 4, 2016
Raze and Reap are two books that will remain with me for a very long time.
These books have given me a huge book hangover. I saw them on Netgalley and thought why not, they sound interesting. What I didn’t expect was the emotional depth that came with them. They were gratuitously violent and the abuse was extremely questionable but despite this, I was absorbed by the story of Luka and Zaal and their respective love interests; Kisa and Talia. Both presumed lost to a criminal and violent sub-society, they find their way back to normalcy and to a love neither expected nor understood.
The rawness that Luka and Zaal carried with them was palpable and their reintroduction into society was both tender and heart wrenching. I loved how they found love and experienced all that it has to offer for the first time. From Luka’s sexual abuse, he became a man who could appreciate the love of a good woman. Zaal also knew nothing of love but with Talia at his side, tenderly caring for him, he found a way out of the darkness and into a beautiful relationship.
I can’t explain what made me love these books so much. I can understand that the subject matter would be too unpleasant for some but I read on understanding that fiction is just that; fiction. These books are dark though and their content should be considered carefully before starting to read them. If, like me, you can read with an open mind and see beyond the violence and the abuse and see the beauty of the story and the magic of the writing, then you will experience an adventure like no other.
The only question that I am left with now is; why I haven’t read anything by Tillie Cole before? If her other books are packed with so much emotion and thought provoking scenarios as Raze and Reap then she is definitely an author with a future in writing at the highest of levels.
For me, I will now have to sit, patiently, for Ravage to be released during the Summer of 2016.
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February 2, 2020
Reread
Raze : 3.5 ⭐
Reap : 3.75-4 ⭐
I love Tillie Cole.. She's my favorite author, period. When I'm in a hideous book slump she can help my a lot. This Series is not my favorite by Tillie (the Hangmen own my little black heart) BUT I still love "Scarred Soul".
As always you can find a superb writing style, complex characters and an original plot. I didn't give 5 stars because:
- In "Raze" I really like but I don't fall in love with Kisa and Luca.
- In "Reap" there is a trope I hate with the force of thousand suns : INSTA-FRIGGING-LOVE (but this is a personal preference , Zaal and Talia are still super cute together). Zaal's story is heartbroken and I love him so much (more than Luka, he's just okey for me.)
Raze : 3.5 ⭐
Reap : 3.75-4 ⭐
I love Tillie Cole.. She's my favorite author, period. When I'm in a hideous book slump she can help my a lot. This Series is not my favorite by Tillie (the Hangmen own my little black heart) BUT I still love "Scarred Soul".
As always you can find a superb writing style, complex characters and an original plot. I didn't give 5 stars because:
- In "Raze" I really like but I don't fall in love with Kisa and Luca.
- In "Reap" there is a trope I hate with the force of thousand suns : INSTA-FRIGGING-LOVE (but this is a personal preference , Zaal and Talia are still super cute together). Zaal's story is heartbroken and I love him so much (more than Luka, he's just okey for me.)
June 23, 2016
These books are amazing. Over the top alpha men. Strong-willed heroines and so much emotion that I couldn't stop reading. Putting these down was NOT an option. A must read.
June 6, 2019
“Raze hell baby” OMG!! This book is perfection!!! If I could give this more than 5 stars I would!! The fact that both of these stories were amazing is just mind blowing. Luka and Kisa‘ story is just insane. They went through so much. He went through so much inside the Gulag. I was not expecting that plot twist. I finished it and I was like there is no way the other story is going to be as good as the first one, but oh how wrong was I!! I think Talia and Zaal’s story might be my favorite. Like I legit wanted to cry!! This is definitely going to be a book I’ll reread over and over again. Oh and can we talk about the ending!! Like what?!?! His story makes so much sense now!! Like I need the next book ASAP!!! Love love love these stories!!! Tillie Cole might be my new favorite author. I will definitely be buying more of her books!!
February 2, 2023
6/5🌟 These two stories will have you swooning for more. I wanted more. I couldn't get enough of Luka & Zaal. This book will have you emotionally invested. OMG I couldn't get enough and I am so glad I started this series.
April 13, 2022
Both Raze and Reap were so good! I loved both stories! They were both dark, depraved, gory but also caused very intense feelings. I’m talking all the feels! I’m obsessed!
May 22, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
August 15, 2016
Before I received an email about the Tillie Cole ‘Scarred Souls’ series, I’d never heard about this author before. But when I received the book description of the first two books ‘Raze’ and ‘Reap’ I got very curious about this series. So when I received the new book, with the first two books of this series in one volume, I couldn’t wait to start reading.
‘Raze’ and ‘Reap’ are both stories of a guy who was kidnapped when he was a child, and was forced to fight to the death. Both guys are very dangerous and are good in one thing: killing. The woman in these two books are daughters of elite mafia man. Well.. these books are definitely very different to the usual romance novels I read, and during the first view chapters I really didn’t know what to think. These stories are hard, violent and at times even a little disgusting.. but… I loved them.
In these books the bad guys, are the good guys and it was really fun to read. But it was more than only fun. ‘Raze’ and ‘Reap’ are sexy, and definitely romantic read and I couldn’t stop reading till the very last page. It was just so different to read a book where the bad guys are the main characters. And although there was a lot of violence because the two main characters in these books were forced to fight people to the death.. It didn’t feel so ‘dark’.
What I really liked in the first book ‘Raze’ was the story of the romance between Luka and Kisa. And with the story I mean the poem their family always told them was made about their love. It was so romantic. Sigh..
The main characters in ‘Raze’ and ‘Reap’ where really fun to get to know. Reading about their life in the mafia was definitely something else. In ‘Raze’ I didn’t particularly care for the main character Kisa tough.. I just found her really weak and couldn’t connect with her at all. But thankfully Luka and the overall story made up for that.
The main characters in ‘Reap’ were both amazing. I loved reading about Zaal and Talia. And I especially loved the way there relationship grow.
This series is really different than your average romance read. And you either will love or hate it. What made me love these two books the most was how different they were.. A very original story. And I can’t wait to read the third book in this series.
‘Raze’ and ‘Reap’ are both stories of a guy who was kidnapped when he was a child, and was forced to fight to the death. Both guys are very dangerous and are good in one thing: killing. The woman in these two books are daughters of elite mafia man. Well.. these books are definitely very different to the usual romance novels I read, and during the first view chapters I really didn’t know what to think. These stories are hard, violent and at times even a little disgusting.. but… I loved them.
In these books the bad guys, are the good guys and it was really fun to read. But it was more than only fun. ‘Raze’ and ‘Reap’ are sexy, and definitely romantic read and I couldn’t stop reading till the very last page. It was just so different to read a book where the bad guys are the main characters. And although there was a lot of violence because the two main characters in these books were forced to fight people to the death.. It didn’t feel so ‘dark’.
What I really liked in the first book ‘Raze’ was the story of the romance between Luka and Kisa. And with the story I mean the poem their family always told them was made about their love. It was so romantic. Sigh..
The main characters in ‘Raze’ and ‘Reap’ where really fun to get to know. Reading about their life in the mafia was definitely something else. In ‘Raze’ I didn’t particularly care for the main character Kisa tough.. I just found her really weak and couldn’t connect with her at all. But thankfully Luka and the overall story made up for that.
The main characters in ‘Reap’ were both amazing. I loved reading about Zaal and Talia. And I especially loved the way there relationship grow.
This series is really different than your average romance read. And you either will love or hate it. What made me love these two books the most was how different they were.. A very original story. And I can’t wait to read the third book in this series.
May 27, 2016
It was a pretty good book in all. While it was slow it was good once you get into it. If you want a better detailed review you can read about it on my blog. I won this book in a Goodreads.com give away. https://journeyingwithceltic.wordpres...
October 22, 2015
Finished both of these. Loved them.
April 28, 2020
“Can I have you?” “You can have me, solnyshko. You can have all of me. You always have, and you always will.”
•
“You are … for me. No other male. Just me. And me … for you. This is my, ‘I love you.’ These are my words from my scarred soul. They are not borrowed words, but words from my full heart, and my heart only.”
•
🖤
•
Okay so there really isn’t anything that I can say in a review to give these books justice.... The storyline for both was so complex and interlinked, it was dark, it was gritty, there was violence, blood and gore. But there was love, heart shattering, complicated and overwhelming love that shone through the pages and hit me right in the chest...
•
Raze was a very in-depth storyline. Being the first book in the series we were given a lot of background that taught us why these characters were the way they were. 818, this man. He was so powerful and driven and he didn’t even know half of it. He was so tortured in ways that made my heart hurt but Kisa was there every step of the way. Their chemistry was overwhelming and when the story goes deeper and you understand why.... ugh I die.
•
Reap follows on the storyline from the previous book but focuses more on 221 and Talia, we do get a few chapters involving 818 and Kisa though which I was so thankful for as I was not ready to let them go! Now, if I thought Raze tugged on my heart strings, I was not prepared for Reap. 221 - this man - he ripped me apart and left me sobbing on multiple occasions on the pure basis of how innocent and pure his soul was. He had been ruined beyond belief, a test subject of obedience drugs and forced to kill on command, but when he was around Talia? He was just that sweet little boy again who had no idea what love was. He ruined me in the best way possible and I can easily say Reap came very close to Sick Fux as my favourite book ever.
•
These books are hard to review without giving away the storyline or spoilers hence why the blurbs are vague also but going on blind faith of my love for Tillie Cole and purchasing these books has been my best decision to date.
•
Raze: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Reap: ☀️🌎☀️🌎☀️x infinity.
•
‘I was his universe. Like he was the Earth and I was his sun’
•
“You are … for me. No other male. Just me. And me … for you. This is my, ‘I love you.’ These are my words from my scarred soul. They are not borrowed words, but words from my full heart, and my heart only.”
•
🖤
•
Okay so there really isn’t anything that I can say in a review to give these books justice.... The storyline for both was so complex and interlinked, it was dark, it was gritty, there was violence, blood and gore. But there was love, heart shattering, complicated and overwhelming love that shone through the pages and hit me right in the chest...
•
Raze was a very in-depth storyline. Being the first book in the series we were given a lot of background that taught us why these characters were the way they were. 818, this man. He was so powerful and driven and he didn’t even know half of it. He was so tortured in ways that made my heart hurt but Kisa was there every step of the way. Their chemistry was overwhelming and when the story goes deeper and you understand why.... ugh I die.
•
Reap follows on the storyline from the previous book but focuses more on 221 and Talia, we do get a few chapters involving 818 and Kisa though which I was so thankful for as I was not ready to let them go! Now, if I thought Raze tugged on my heart strings, I was not prepared for Reap. 221 - this man - he ripped me apart and left me sobbing on multiple occasions on the pure basis of how innocent and pure his soul was. He had been ruined beyond belief, a test subject of obedience drugs and forced to kill on command, but when he was around Talia? He was just that sweet little boy again who had no idea what love was. He ruined me in the best way possible and I can easily say Reap came very close to Sick Fux as my favourite book ever.
•
These books are hard to review without giving away the storyline or spoilers hence why the blurbs are vague also but going on blind faith of my love for Tillie Cole and purchasing these books has been my best decision to date.
•
Raze: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Reap: ☀️🌎☀️🌎☀️x infinity.
•
‘I was his universe. Like he was the Earth and I was his sun’
January 16, 2018
Oh man. This is why I love Tillie’s writing. She’s versatile with what she writes and always keeps me coming back for more.
RAZE:
I was absolutely stuck to the pages of this book and could not put it down.
It was dark and a little twisted with the things that prisoner 818 went through, that going through his journey was heartbreaking, but he’s such a strong character that I just couldn’t help but fall in love with him!
Kisa was absolutely amazing in everything she had to deal with, when all she wanted was her soul mate back. And being the only daughter of the pakhan and being engaged to basically a mad was difficult for her with having so many rules. But she made it through with so much heartbreak she had no choice but to be stronger which I absolutely admired!
This book kept me gripped right from the start and I’d recommend it to anyone!
REAP:
This book broke my heart.
Man I had all the feels.
Even though like Raze, prisoner 221 literally didn’t know anything about life or understand a lot of things and it just broke my heart. He was simple in a lot of ways, but I just loved him.
Talia was so strong and just wanted to find a love she could have forever. Though she knew it would be wrong with prisoner 221.
The struggles both these people had was just heartbreaking and it literally broke me but put me back together again.
Both of these books were absolutely amazing and I’ll know they’ll be in my heart for a long time!
RAZE:
I was absolutely stuck to the pages of this book and could not put it down.
It was dark and a little twisted with the things that prisoner 818 went through, that going through his journey was heartbreaking, but he’s such a strong character that I just couldn’t help but fall in love with him!
Kisa was absolutely amazing in everything she had to deal with, when all she wanted was her soul mate back. And being the only daughter of the pakhan and being engaged to basically a mad was difficult for her with having so many rules. But she made it through with so much heartbreak she had no choice but to be stronger which I absolutely admired!
This book kept me gripped right from the start and I’d recommend it to anyone!
REAP:
This book broke my heart.
Man I had all the feels.
Even though like Raze, prisoner 221 literally didn’t know anything about life or understand a lot of things and it just broke my heart. He was simple in a lot of ways, but I just loved him.
Talia was so strong and just wanted to find a love she could have forever. Though she knew it would be wrong with prisoner 221.
The struggles both these people had was just heartbreaking and it literally broke me but put me back together again.
Both of these books were absolutely amazing and I’ll know they’ll be in my heart for a long time!
May 30, 2016
Raze (Scarred Souls #1) by Tillie Cole – 5 stars
Even though I read Reap before reading Raze, and thus knew the outcome, this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the novel any because even though Reap is a dark romance, it’s still a romance. And truth be told, it is the journey that Raze and Kisa must take to find their way to one another that makes the book truly enjoyable.
“They were always meant to be together, one boy and one girl, two hearts split into two, sent to far-off lands on their own.”
Kisa and Luka grew up together, two of the five children who were the Bratva heirs to the New York Russian underground. Even as children, they recognized early that they were meant to be together and their mothers acknowledged it as well. For all intents and purposes, they were betrothed to one another. Until the day that Kisa’s twin brother was killed and Alik (the third Bratva male heir) was stabbed by Luka, necessitating that Luka be sent to Russian work camp for teens as punishment. A location he never made it to due to a fiery crash that took his life and the lives of four others. Or so they all believed. And as Luka endured a literal prison, Kisa was relegated to a prison of another kind – one that gave the illusion of freedom, but granted her none – as Alik’s fiancée.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. While it is a dark romance and contains scenes that are quite violent in nature, the author doesn’t go into graphic detail for the most disturbing of events. There were things that Luka endured while in the gulag that we learn through his memories and actions, but aren’t exposed to the actual horrors of what happened to him. At the same time, we see some of the rough treatment Alik meets out to Kisa, but we are spared most of his violence toward her until a scene toward the end of the book. I felt the author did a great job with Luka’s memory recovery, doling out bits and pieces as people and places triggered them. Because several of his memories contained details that no one else was privy to, I felt like I experienced his memory loss and recovery with him – both the good memories and the bad ones. As for the romance aspect, I’m a sucker for a well-written soulmates romance and that’s exactly what Cole delivered. Had Kisa not be raised in the Bratva lifestyle, the daughter of the head of the New York Bratva, and being an active part of that world, her reunion with Luka wouldn’t have worked. But being who she was, being raised as she had been, the forces of Fate bringing the two back together worked. Unfortunately, their reunion was only the first step because Luka not only had to find himself through his memories, they had to weather the attacks of those who would keep them apart. Raze was an awesome read and as I’ve already read Reap, I was very excited to learn that book three, Ravage, will be released in a few months. YAY!
*****
Reap (Scarred Souls #2) by Tillie Cole – 4 stars
[Review written 12/18/2015]
I am ashamed to admit that I have not read Raze yet. I had planned to read it before reading Reap, but I got my review schedule confused and didn’t have a chance to do so. That said, I didn’t feel the least bit lost at what was going on in Reap. There is a possibility that I missed some of the series thread nuances, but as far as Zaal (221) and Talia’s story goes, I had no problem following along. And what a story it was.
Not being familiar with what was done to Raze/Luka, I got to witness the horrors of Zaal’s time as 221 without any preparation. It is appalling to think that there are people in the world capable of the cruelty that Jakhua and the other Bratva bosses engage in over the course of Reap – yet, I know there are. That what was done to Zaal started when he was EIGHT is horrifying. But there is no doubting that 221 was a finely tuned killing machine. Thankfully, when Luka learns that his friend’s twin brother has been found, he stops at nothing to rescue him from the monster that has turned him into a mindless killer. Unfortunately for Luka’s sister, Talia, the only place Luka can secure 221 is at the family’s home in the Hamptons – the place Talia has gone for two months in order to escape the pressures of being a Bratva boss’s daughter. Although Talia is at first disgusted by her brother’s actions to save a Kostava, she soon finds herself drawn to him. Much like Kisa calms Luka, when Talia is forced to make physical contact with him, we find that she calms 221. As they spend time together, Talia finds that her hatred for all things Kostava is soon replaced by feelings of compassion, affection, and attraction for Zaal. When Jakhua returns to collect his “dog,” Talia finds out just how much Zaal returns her feelings.
I really enjoyed Reap. I’ve read books where drugs were used to create super-soldiers and mercenaries. I’ve read mafia books. But this is the first I’ve read that combines the two and Cole makes it work wonderfully. Watching the relationship that develops between Zaal and Talia is very sweet in its own way. To see the Bratva princess tame the savage beast within (literally), and help him learn to live in the world as a free man was actually heartwarming – not something I’d expect from a mafia book, even if it is a romance. But Cole does a great job of off-setting all that sweet with some seriously action-packed scenes as Luka taps back into Raze to rescue Zaal – twice – and make Jakhua pay for Anri’s death. The final scene in the Epilogue is an excellent hook for the next book because I have to know what happens next. Until then, I get to backtrack and read Raze and I am really looking forward to it.
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
Even though I read Reap before reading Raze, and thus knew the outcome, this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the novel any because even though Reap is a dark romance, it’s still a romance. And truth be told, it is the journey that Raze and Kisa must take to find their way to one another that makes the book truly enjoyable.
“They were always meant to be together, one boy and one girl, two hearts split into two, sent to far-off lands on their own.”
Kisa and Luka grew up together, two of the five children who were the Bratva heirs to the New York Russian underground. Even as children, they recognized early that they were meant to be together and their mothers acknowledged it as well. For all intents and purposes, they were betrothed to one another. Until the day that Kisa’s twin brother was killed and Alik (the third Bratva male heir) was stabbed by Luka, necessitating that Luka be sent to Russian work camp for teens as punishment. A location he never made it to due to a fiery crash that took his life and the lives of four others. Or so they all believed. And as Luka endured a literal prison, Kisa was relegated to a prison of another kind – one that gave the illusion of freedom, but granted her none – as Alik’s fiancée.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. While it is a dark romance and contains scenes that are quite violent in nature, the author doesn’t go into graphic detail for the most disturbing of events. There were things that Luka endured while in the gulag that we learn through his memories and actions, but aren’t exposed to the actual horrors of what happened to him. At the same time, we see some of the rough treatment Alik meets out to Kisa, but we are spared most of his violence toward her until a scene toward the end of the book. I felt the author did a great job with Luka’s memory recovery, doling out bits and pieces as people and places triggered them. Because several of his memories contained details that no one else was privy to, I felt like I experienced his memory loss and recovery with him – both the good memories and the bad ones. As for the romance aspect, I’m a sucker for a well-written soulmates romance and that’s exactly what Cole delivered. Had Kisa not be raised in the Bratva lifestyle, the daughter of the head of the New York Bratva, and being an active part of that world, her reunion with Luka wouldn’t have worked. But being who she was, being raised as she had been, the forces of Fate bringing the two back together worked. Unfortunately, their reunion was only the first step because Luka not only had to find himself through his memories, they had to weather the attacks of those who would keep them apart. Raze was an awesome read and as I’ve already read Reap, I was very excited to learn that book three, Ravage, will be released in a few months. YAY!
*****
Reap (Scarred Souls #2) by Tillie Cole – 4 stars
[Review written 12/18/2015]
I am ashamed to admit that I have not read Raze yet. I had planned to read it before reading Reap, but I got my review schedule confused and didn’t have a chance to do so. That said, I didn’t feel the least bit lost at what was going on in Reap. There is a possibility that I missed some of the series thread nuances, but as far as Zaal (221) and Talia’s story goes, I had no problem following along. And what a story it was.
Not being familiar with what was done to Raze/Luka, I got to witness the horrors of Zaal’s time as 221 without any preparation. It is appalling to think that there are people in the world capable of the cruelty that Jakhua and the other Bratva bosses engage in over the course of Reap – yet, I know there are. That what was done to Zaal started when he was EIGHT is horrifying. But there is no doubting that 221 was a finely tuned killing machine. Thankfully, when Luka learns that his friend’s twin brother has been found, he stops at nothing to rescue him from the monster that has turned him into a mindless killer. Unfortunately for Luka’s sister, Talia, the only place Luka can secure 221 is at the family’s home in the Hamptons – the place Talia has gone for two months in order to escape the pressures of being a Bratva boss’s daughter. Although Talia is at first disgusted by her brother’s actions to save a Kostava, she soon finds herself drawn to him. Much like Kisa calms Luka, when Talia is forced to make physical contact with him, we find that she calms 221. As they spend time together, Talia finds that her hatred for all things Kostava is soon replaced by feelings of compassion, affection, and attraction for Zaal. When Jakhua returns to collect his “dog,” Talia finds out just how much Zaal returns her feelings.
I really enjoyed Reap. I’ve read books where drugs were used to create super-soldiers and mercenaries. I’ve read mafia books. But this is the first I’ve read that combines the two and Cole makes it work wonderfully. Watching the relationship that develops between Zaal and Talia is very sweet in its own way. To see the Bratva princess tame the savage beast within (literally), and help him learn to live in the world as a free man was actually heartwarming – not something I’d expect from a mafia book, even if it is a romance. But Cole does a great job of off-setting all that sweet with some seriously action-packed scenes as Luka taps back into Raze to rescue Zaal – twice – and make Jakhua pay for Anri’s death. The final scene in the Epilogue is an excellent hook for the next book because I have to know what happens next. Until then, I get to backtrack and read Raze and I am really looking forward to it.
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
May 15, 2021
To step into Ms. Cole’s world is a humbling experience. The terrifying storylines, with attention to every minute detail makes for a gripping read every time.
This was a replacement purchase of my original copies of Raze and Reap. They’ve been well read time and time again. It’s one read I’ll bypass ebook format to read time and time again.
The lasting impression from these first two books leaves me amazed at the strength portrayed by her characters, the ability to survive, despite their horrific environments.
On to Ravage to break me and put me back together again with her words.
This was a replacement purchase of my original copies of Raze and Reap. They’ve been well read time and time again. It’s one read I’ll bypass ebook format to read time and time again.
The lasting impression from these first two books leaves me amazed at the strength portrayed by her characters, the ability to survive, despite their horrific environments.
On to Ravage to break me and put me back together again with her words.
July 26, 2021
4.5 ⭐️ - Actually I’m torn between 4 to 4.5. Giving it a 4 for now. May change later if I have book hangover.
[26Jul - edited to bump up my ratings after Riot ✌🏼]
Individually, Raze - 4 ⭐️, Reap - 4.5 ⭐️
Yes, I enjoyed Reap more than Raze.
This review will be based on the first two book as a whole. Now I know why they decide to combine them together. IMO, Raze story feels too short and incomplete at the end of it. If I were to read it on its own, I would definitely have felt unsatisfied with the way it ended. As the story for Raze spilled over to Reap, it made sense to publish it as one book instead of two.
Raze - I’m intrigued with the premise. As I went into this blind, I didn’t expect Raze was actually Luka. That was a nice twist. One of the reasons why I like going into a story blind. Though the author went pretty dark with the story, I felt the recovery time could have been a little longer and wish we get to see the ripple effect in this book instead of book 2. The author really went all out with the first-love-soulmate trope. Though I understand it is part of the storyline, it is just a bit much and kinda an overkill.
Reap - This is a very good example of a insta-love done right. Though I am usually not a fan of the insta-love, I was totally behind this OTP. If I were to nitpick, I wish we could have seen Talia’s feelings progression at the beginning, considering she was originally against having Reap in the basement in the first place. But it’s not a biggie. I love how the author chose to transit from one OTP to another. The twin arc, though cliché, kinda work well with storyline. Love seeing how their lives slowly intertwines with each other.
Love the bromance between Luka-Anri throughout the two books. Love it so much that what Luka wrote in the end moved me to tears.
Again I didn’t write any notes while reading this time round. But even so, I can still remember enough key points for this review. Yes, it was that good. Highly recommended!
[26Jul - edited to bump up my ratings after Riot ✌🏼]
Individually, Raze - 4 ⭐️, Reap - 4.5 ⭐️
Yes, I enjoyed Reap more than Raze.
This review will be based on the first two book as a whole. Now I know why they decide to combine them together. IMO, Raze story feels too short and incomplete at the end of it. If I were to read it on its own, I would definitely have felt unsatisfied with the way it ended. As the story for Raze spilled over to Reap, it made sense to publish it as one book instead of two.
Raze - I’m intrigued with the premise. As I went into this blind, I didn’t expect Raze was actually Luka. That was a nice twist. One of the reasons why I like going into a story blind. Though the author went pretty dark with the story, I felt the recovery time could have been a little longer and wish we get to see the ripple effect in this book instead of book 2. The author really went all out with the first-love-soulmate trope. Though I understand it is part of the storyline, it is just a bit much and kinda an overkill.
Reap - This is a very good example of a insta-love done right. Though I am usually not a fan of the insta-love, I was totally behind this OTP. If I were to nitpick, I wish we could have seen Talia’s feelings progression at the beginning, considering she was originally against having Reap in the basement in the first place. But it’s not a biggie. I love how the author chose to transit from one OTP to another. The twin arc, though cliché, kinda work well with storyline. Love seeing how their lives slowly intertwines with each other.
Love the bromance between Luka-Anri throughout the two books. Love it so much that what Luka wrote in the end moved me to tears.
Again I didn’t write any notes while reading this time round. But even so, I can still remember enough key points for this review. Yes, it was that good. Highly recommended!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2021
🆁🅰🆉🅴
˜”*°•.˜”*°• Luka & Kisa •°*”˜.•°*”˜
“. . . God put a piece of you within me so when we were born, everyone would know we matched.”
🆁🅴🅰🅿
(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Zaal & Talia ♥
“You are … for me. No other male. Just me. And me … for you. This is my, ‘I love you.’ These are my words from my scarred soul. They are not borrowed words, but words from my full heart, and my heart only.”
These stories are so intense. The brutal fighting...deadly combats, males possessiveness and aggressiveness. As if it screams 'action speaks louder than words'. But, at the same time, there are softness of the tough women in this mafia world. And when we talk about love, no matter what, love always wins.
˜”*°•.˜”*°• Luka & Kisa •°*”˜.•°*”˜
“. . . God put a piece of you within me so when we were born, everyone would know we matched.”
🆁🅴🅰🅿
(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Zaal & Talia ♥
“You are … for me. No other male. Just me. And me … for you. This is my, ‘I love you.’ These are my words from my scarred soul. They are not borrowed words, but words from my full heart, and my heart only.”
These stories are so intense. The brutal fighting...deadly combats, males possessiveness and aggressiveness. As if it screams 'action speaks louder than words'. But, at the same time, there are softness of the tough women in this mafia world. And when we talk about love, no matter what, love always wins.
March 29, 2016
About the book: Release Date March 29, 2016
The first two books in the Scarred Souls series, in one volume!
RAZE
One man stripped of his freedom, his morals... his life. Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge... bloody, slow and violent revenge. Revenge on the man who wronged him.
Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill 'The Silencer' Volkov, head of the infamous 'Red' bosses of New York's Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it's a virtual prison. Her father's savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring-The Dungeon-ensures too many enemies lurk at their door. She dreams to be set free. Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. While working for her church-the only reprieve in her constant surveillance-Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn't talk. Doesn't communicate with anyone. He's a man beyond saving. But Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man... ... this man they call Raze.
REAP
Raised as a prototype for the Georgian Bratva's obedience drug, 221 fails to think, act or live for himself; his master's perfectly-crafted killing puppet. Standing at six foot six, weighing two-hundred and fifty pounds, and unrivalled in to-the-death combat, 221 successfully secures business for, the Georgian Mafiya Boss of NYC, in the dark world of the criminal underground. Until his enemies capture him.
Talia Tolstoi dreams to break from the heavy clutches of Bratva life and dreams of another life-away from the stifling leash of her Russian Bratva Boss father, from the brutality of her work at The Dungeon-her criminal family's underground death match enterprise. But when she stumbles upon her family's captive who is more monster than man, she starts to see the man underneath. A powerful, beautiful, damaged man whose heart calls to hers.
••••••••••••••
NOTE: RAZE contains graphic violence and sexual scenes that may be triggers for some reviewers.
REVIEW: 4 stars--RAZE (originally released December 2014) is the first installment in Tillie Cole’s contemporary, adult SCARRED SOULS erotic, romance series focusing the Russian Mafia, Georgian Bratva criminal underground, cages fights to the death, and two families torn apart by power and greed. This is cage fighter/enslaved killer Raze (aka Luka Tolstoi), and New York Russian mafia princess Kisa Volkoya.
RAZE is a graphically violent story line with strong sexual content and scenarios of non-consensual $ex including the rape and torture of a young teenage boy. Our heroine has been forced into a relationship to a man who is physically, sexually and emotionally abusive, yet she is unable to take steps to protect herself against the onslaught of violence.
We are introduced to a number of New York’s Russian Bratva- a criminal Triad that controls much of the illegal underground enterprise including cage fighting and MMA, of NYC. The world building focuses on the imprisonment, torture and training of young boys; the men they will become; and the people who destroyed their lives.
RAZE is a story of second chances; of a love that never faltered, and a life never forgotten. The premise is raw and gritty; the characters are dark, dangerous and broken; the romance is heartbreaking. Tillie Cole will break your heart for the young men destroyed by the Russian Bratva of SCARRED SOULS.
•••••••••••••••
REVIEW: 4.25 stars---REAP is the second installment in Tillie Cole’s contemporary, adult SCARRED SOULS erotic, dark romance series focusing on the Russian Mafia, Georgian Bratva criminal underground, cages fights to the death, and two families torn apart by power and greed. This is Zaal (aka 221), and Talia Tolstoi’s storyline. REAP can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for background history and cohesion.
REAP is a violent storyline with graphic language; scenes of rape, vicious abuse and gladiator-style killings. The ‘killers’ are victims of kidnapping, abuse, drug-induced mind control, and a need to kill or be killed. Years living in the dark have left the fighters broken and feral, with no hope for freedom or a chance at a normal life. Trained from a young age, killing and torture is all they have ever known.
REAP is also a story about family. As an eight year old child, Zaal, along with his twin brother Anri, witnessed the execution of his entire family. Anri would become best friends with Luka in the pits of hell; Zaal would become the number one killer in the fighting ring. But the Tolstoi’s and Kostava’s are bitter enemies-murder and revenge but a heartbeat away. Ivan Tolstoi-Talia’s father-is the new king of New York-a man who abhors everything the Kostava’s represent.
Tillie Cole writes a story about forbidden love; a second chance at life; and a broken man whose heart and soul have been shattered by years of torment and abuse. REAP is an emotional storyline that will break your heart for the childhood that never was; for the men that never will be; for the yearning of freedom and what is to come.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley
The first two books in the Scarred Souls series, in one volume!
RAZE
One man stripped of his freedom, his morals... his life. Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge... bloody, slow and violent revenge. Revenge on the man who wronged him.
Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill 'The Silencer' Volkov, head of the infamous 'Red' bosses of New York's Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it's a virtual prison. Her father's savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring-The Dungeon-ensures too many enemies lurk at their door. She dreams to be set free. Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. While working for her church-the only reprieve in her constant surveillance-Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn't talk. Doesn't communicate with anyone. He's a man beyond saving. But Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man... ... this man they call Raze.
REAP
Raised as a prototype for the Georgian Bratva's obedience drug, 221 fails to think, act or live for himself; his master's perfectly-crafted killing puppet. Standing at six foot six, weighing two-hundred and fifty pounds, and unrivalled in to-the-death combat, 221 successfully secures business for, the Georgian Mafiya Boss of NYC, in the dark world of the criminal underground. Until his enemies capture him.
Talia Tolstoi dreams to break from the heavy clutches of Bratva life and dreams of another life-away from the stifling leash of her Russian Bratva Boss father, from the brutality of her work at The Dungeon-her criminal family's underground death match enterprise. But when she stumbles upon her family's captive who is more monster than man, she starts to see the man underneath. A powerful, beautiful, damaged man whose heart calls to hers.
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NOTE: RAZE contains graphic violence and sexual scenes that may be triggers for some reviewers.
REVIEW: 4 stars--RAZE (originally released December 2014) is the first installment in Tillie Cole’s contemporary, adult SCARRED SOULS erotic, romance series focusing the Russian Mafia, Georgian Bratva criminal underground, cages fights to the death, and two families torn apart by power and greed. This is cage fighter/enslaved killer Raze (aka Luka Tolstoi), and New York Russian mafia princess Kisa Volkoya.
RAZE is a graphically violent story line with strong sexual content and scenarios of non-consensual $ex including the rape and torture of a young teenage boy. Our heroine has been forced into a relationship to a man who is physically, sexually and emotionally abusive, yet she is unable to take steps to protect herself against the onslaught of violence.
We are introduced to a number of New York’s Russian Bratva- a criminal Triad that controls much of the illegal underground enterprise including cage fighting and MMA, of NYC. The world building focuses on the imprisonment, torture and training of young boys; the men they will become; and the people who destroyed their lives.
RAZE is a story of second chances; of a love that never faltered, and a life never forgotten. The premise is raw and gritty; the characters are dark, dangerous and broken; the romance is heartbreaking. Tillie Cole will break your heart for the young men destroyed by the Russian Bratva of SCARRED SOULS.
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REVIEW: 4.25 stars---REAP is the second installment in Tillie Cole’s contemporary, adult SCARRED SOULS erotic, dark romance series focusing on the Russian Mafia, Georgian Bratva criminal underground, cages fights to the death, and two families torn apart by power and greed. This is Zaal (aka 221), and Talia Tolstoi’s storyline. REAP can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for background history and cohesion.
REAP is a violent storyline with graphic language; scenes of rape, vicious abuse and gladiator-style killings. The ‘killers’ are victims of kidnapping, abuse, drug-induced mind control, and a need to kill or be killed. Years living in the dark have left the fighters broken and feral, with no hope for freedom or a chance at a normal life. Trained from a young age, killing and torture is all they have ever known.
REAP is also a story about family. As an eight year old child, Zaal, along with his twin brother Anri, witnessed the execution of his entire family. Anri would become best friends with Luka in the pits of hell; Zaal would become the number one killer in the fighting ring. But the Tolstoi’s and Kostava’s are bitter enemies-murder and revenge but a heartbeat away. Ivan Tolstoi-Talia’s father-is the new king of New York-a man who abhors everything the Kostava’s represent.
Tillie Cole writes a story about forbidden love; a second chance at life; and a broken man whose heart and soul have been shattered by years of torment and abuse. REAP is an emotional storyline that will break your heart for the childhood that never was; for the men that never will be; for the yearning of freedom and what is to come.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley
July 12, 2018
5 Stars!
This is my first read by Tillie Cole and I LOVED it!
818 (book #1) and 221 (book #2) were such great, strong characters! Loved the concept of this book. It's definitely a dark romance, but very well written with a great plot. It definitely ends on a cliffhanger and I can't wait to continue with the 3rd book to see what else awaits Zaal and Luka.
It was a very easy read and flowed nicely. It definitely needs to be read in order for things to make sense. I've heard good things about this author and can easily say that she does not disappoint.
This is my first read by Tillie Cole and I LOVED it!
818 (book #1) and 221 (book #2) were such great, strong characters! Loved the concept of this book. It's definitely a dark romance, but very well written with a great plot. It definitely ends on a cliffhanger and I can't wait to continue with the 3rd book to see what else awaits Zaal and Luka.
It was a very easy read and flowed nicely. It definitely needs to be read in order for things to make sense. I've heard good things about this author and can easily say that she does not disappoint.
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