In an evil world hidden amongst our own—in a subterranean fortress forged in the blood and bones of the slaves who fill it—one woman is determined to rise and bring down the Masters who reside there.
Love, torture, murder, and lies…
There are no consequences too high to stop the wrath coming to Whitlock. Only one can change the violent history that’s built over centuries of human trafficking for the elite, but at what cost?
The return of 24690 … BLACK OUT.
WARNING: This book is PITCH BLACK. If you have any triggers, this story may not be for you. BEFORE you read BLACK OUT, Make sure you read the others in order: 24690 White Out (24690, book 2) 27001 (Welcome to Whitlock, 24690 series, book 2.1) 27009 (Welcome to Whitlock, 24690 series, book 2.2) 27011 (Welcome to Whitlock, 24690 series, book 2.3) Black Out (24690 series, book 3)
A. A. Dark is an International Bestselling Author. She doesn’t live in one place for long and is known to move at the drop of a dime. From mountains and snow to tropical beaches, she could be at one in the morning and the other by night. A. A. is a Goodreads Choice Award Finalist in Horror. She is also the President and CEO of Mad Girl Publishing, and the founder for the Pitch Black brand.
This book packs a lot, tense scenes and a few heartbreaking ones. Everleigh walked a dark path, and she had every right to do what she did. The story crossed a lot of lines, but the conclusion was exactly what I wanted. It also crossed a few triggers that were a bit too much for me.
If you haven’t read the beginning of this series, please...PLEASE START THERE!!!
For those of you that have been blessed enough to find this series, you will find that this is a perfect ending to a world so depraved that it is the ONLY way to squeeze your blackened hearts.
Welcome back to Whitlock!!!
Hard limits?! I have none! So this book feeds all the brutally my soul seeks! If you have limits, don’t bother with picking it up but if you need a hard smack with a wave of terror, this is definitely for you.
Screw the Five Star review! This was like 1000 daggers to the heart! I now know that you can hold your breath indefinitely without passing out! This story tilted my axis and broke me apart! I don’t give spoilers and in this being the last, there isn’t a point in explaining.
The writing was clean and concise. There is no question that all of the author’s soul is within these pages. I want to live in her tangled, dark mind forever!
I’m not sure how to go on after this series! The bar has been set too high and everything else just isn’t enough. I will be forever scarred by Whitlock, in the most delicious way!!!
10 phenomenal stars Wow, just wow, this is the final instalment in the 24690 series and I’m sad that Bram and Everleigh’s story has come to an end but boy what a story it is. I devoured and loved/hated every sordid, gory word that A. A. Dark delivered to us. In saying that this instalment in the life of Bram and Everleigh is going to test the darkest of dark book lovers.
Trust me when I say you are not ready for the darkest and depraved acts that happen and nothing that they have endured in the past comes even close to the new happenings within the walls of Whitlock. The true test of survival are what both Bram and Everleigh have had to face. Friendships are tested, love is stretched and actions definitely speaks louder than words. Blood is shed and not even the darkness of the blackout brings peace. Everleigh’s devotion and sacrifices blew me away, she is a powerhouse to be reckoned with. Bram proved again just why he is the Main Master.
A. A. Dark did not hold back and just let the story unfold and take on a life of its own. She has truly outdone herself with Blackout.
I don't really know where to rate this one. Book 1 was really good. Book 2, didn't do what I needed it to to make me like it but it was okay. This book was just more and more and more of the same thing. I was so bored at times that I was watching to see how much I had left before I was done. I wanted to be done but I almost never DNF a book.
I don't want to read anything else about Whitlock. By the end of this book I was exhausted from rolling my eyes. I would recommend book 1 to people that are looking for very dark subject matter. I've read darker books but this one held my attention and felt different that the ones I previously read. I would not recommend book 2 and 3.
This book introduce more new characters that were generic and undeveloped. I didn't care about any of those characters, I didn't want to read from their points of view and they just drag the book out longer. It was annoying. I don't dislike Everleigh as a character but I don't understand why other characters are so obsessed with her. I never got any of that out of this series. The best character in the series was Bram. He was a terrible person but at least his demons made him interesting. The conclusion of this book was a fail for me too. It was a half-hearted HEA that was completely unbelievable. I knew it was coming but I hoped for the more realistic ending because not every situation, especially this type, ends with a smile and someone saving from the world from bad guys.
First, if you have triggers, this is not the book for you! For all of the rest of us, this book is awesome! It is the last book of the series, so you do need to start at the beginning, you will not regret it! Once I started reading it last night I could not put it down until I finished it. The ending of the story of Whitlock is so so good I couldn't have asked for anything more than was written. All of the important characters from the previous books from this series are given an ending, which is something I would love to see in all series. The author did a stellar job, the writing is sharp and concise, a great blend of horrifying and sweet and touching. ( If you read very dark books you"ll get this). I'm sorry to see this series end, but what a great send off we have been given! I'm not saying anything about the story itself, I want no spoilers given away. I will say that Whitlock is a world within our world the author created in her mind, that is so deliciously dark and depraved, some scenes will make you shutter. Even us hardcore dark lovers! I highly recommend this book and series!
Oh. My. Gosh. Y'all, the poo hits the fan BIG time in this conclusion to 24690's story. I had a lump in my throat for most of the book, cried like a colicky baby twice, and my mouth dried out from it hanging open in disbelief twice. Those occasions I had to pause, take a break and rally emotionally before diving back in. Black Out is a book that demands to be devoured in one go. It's super hard to put down because you end up needing to know what the heck happens next. I like the way it's written from multiple points of view. It's an emotionally driven, dark, angsty read. Great conclusion to a fantastic and DARK series.
The finale goes hard: vengeance, blood, torture, and a relentless push to bring Whitlock crashing down. 🔥⚔️ It’s suspenseful, disturbing, and captivating all at once—like a train wreck you can’t stop watching. 🚂💥 What a wild, sick, unforgettable journey. This series really doesn’t let you come up for air. 🖤
I’m not sure it’s the most disturbing thing I’ve ever read, but it’s definitely somewhere in the top five!
How do I come close to describing the sensations that simultaneously make me want to shout in joy, and hide in fear after reading Black Out?
After following the 24690 saga for years, I was hesitant to start Black Out. I knew going in, it was going to be a difficult read no matter how it turned out, but I should have known AA would kill it, and she did… along with my heart.
5 stars is nowhere near enough to rate the epic conclusion to one of the most original stories out there.
People who have given this book 5 stars are you out of your mind?
I finished this book thinking it would be 3 stars or 3.5 stars, but from thinking about it lying on my bed this book doesn't even deserve to have stars, so let's leave it at 2 stars for now.
The author was very ambitious in writing this book, and I could tell she wanted to push too hard on Everleigh's empowerment and the relationship between Bram and her. And I mean she went way beyond what is dark in a book.
Book 1 and book 2 were very promising and even entertaining because, besides the fact that they were dark, this author didn't go any further, even the Welcome to Withlock series of books was a series that I said okay this compromises a lot for book 3, but I realized that she took book three too far. First let's start that, even though I read the translated version of this book because I wanted to finish the series because I was tired, it had a lot of errors in grammar, spelling and even mistakes with some characters (I checked it in the original version too in case it was just the translation that was wrong, and no, it was) and too much I mean TOO MANY povs of characters that didn't even have much relevance to what the story wanted to get at, these characters were generic and undeveloped. I didn't even care about any of these characters, I didn't want to read their points of view and they just dragged the book out. It came across as more of a sloppy story.
Second, how dark and how far too far this book went, made me think what the hell I just read?, if book 2 was crude this one goes beyond crude, at one point I got to thinking if the author watches too many horror movies or too many series of murder and rape and sadistic killings because it gave me a moment where I felt disgusted to read it. This book became tasteless, sick, and twisted, and in my opinion and I think the opinion of many people who have a human mind this book should not have come out of anyone's imagination and people should not have given it 5 stars knowing that it is cruel. I mean we are talking about the author described in two chapters how someone killed a 3-year-old child and on top of that they disemboweled him and then went on to describe how the baby was hanging from a window for all to see, what kind of psychological trauma do you have?, and the most twisted thing is not that, the most twisted thing is that her Thank You's are for the author's children, never thank your children for something as traumatic as a book like this, with such specific descriptions, it's not right, it's fucked up.
Third and last point, I finished this series because I really needed the closure I needed from these books and in the end, it ended as I didn't expect it to end and it was a predictable ending, it got to a point where I said “okay I'm happy because they end up together” but after thinking about it too much I'm not happy that they ended up together and I get to thinking 4 books too long full of torture and senseless rape all to show that 24690 aka Everleigh ran away had female empowerment and married a man with a lot of trauma and who was and is violent and sadistic and now goes after bad guys like it's nothing, that's not an ending to a book full of cruel, dark things that have gone too far I was really hoping for a more realistic ending because not every situation, especially of this type, ends with a smile and someone saving the world from the bad guys. I still say it was an ambitious book and should not have existed. An overly romanticized book in my opinion and not at all to romanticize things like this and you have to be careful of many people who read these things and want something like this.
And so much for my review, I don't recommend reading it, although it is easy to read, it is the worst book in the series and it made me think it doesn't even deserve 2 stars so it became 1 star as I was writing my review.
SPANISH REVIEW La gente que le ha dado 5 estrellas a este libro ¿Esta bien de la cabeza?
Termine este libro pensando en que sera 3 estrellas o 3.5 estrellas, pero de tanto pensarlo acostada en mi cama este libro no merece ni siquiera tener estrellas, pero dejémoslo en 2 estrellas por ahora.
La autora fue muy ambiciosa al escribir este libro, y me di cuenta de que ella quizo forzar demasiado el empoderamiento de Everleigh y la relación entre Bram y ella. Y quiero decir que se fue más allá de lo que es oscuro en un libro.
El libro 1 y el libro 2 fueron muy prometedores e incluso entretenidos porque además de que fueron oscuros esta autora no fue más allá, incluso la serie de libros de Welcome to Withlock fue una serie que yo dije okay esto compromete mucho para el libro 3, pero me di cuenta de que ella llevo el libro tres demasiado lejos. Primero empecemos que, aunque lei la version traducida de este libro porque ya que quería terminar la serie porque estaba cansada, tenía muchos errores de gramáticas, escrituras e incluso equivocaciones con algunos personajes (lo comprobé en la version original también por si solamente era la traducción que estaba mal, y no, era así) y demasiado quiero decir DEMASIADOS pov de personajes que ni siquiera tuvieron mucha relevancia a lo que la historia quería llegar, estos personajes eran genéricos y sin desarrollar. Ni siquiera me importaba ninguno de esos personajes, no quería leer sus puntos de vista y sólo alargaban el libro. Se vio más como una historia descuidada.
Segundo, lo oscuro y lo demasiado lejos que llego este libro, me hizo pensar ¿qué diablos fue que lei? si el libro 2 fue crudo este va más allá de lo crudo, en un momento llegué a pensar que si la autora ve muchas películas de terror o muchas series de asesinatos y violaciones y matanzas sádicas porque me dio un momento donde sentí asco de leerlo. Este libro se convirtió en algo insípido, enfermizo y retorcido y a mi parecer y creo que el parecer de mucha gente que tiene una mente humana este libro no debió salir de la imaginación de nadie y la gente no debió de darle 5 estrellas sabiendo que es cruel. Osea estamos hablando de que la autora describió en dos capítulos como alguien mataba a un niño de 3 años y además de eso lo destripaban y luego paso a describir como el bebé estaba colgado de una ventana para que todos lo vean, ¿Qué clase de trauma psicológico tienes? y lo más retorcido no es eso, lo más retorcido es que sus Agradecimientos son para los hijos de la autora, nunca agradezcas a tus hijos de algo tan traumantes como un libro como este, con esas descripciones tan específicas, no está bien, es jodido.
Tercero y último punto, termine esta serie por que en verdad necesitaba el cierre necesario de estos libros y al final termino como no me esperaba que terminara y que fue un final predecible, llego en un punto que dije “okay estoy feliz porque terminan juntos” pero después de pensarlo demasiado no estoy feliz de que terminaran juntos y me pongo a pensar 4 libros demasiado largos llenos de torturas y violaciones sin sentido todo para mostrar que 24690 aka Everleigh se escapó tuvo empoderamiento femenino y se casó con un hombre con muchos traumas y que fue y es violento y sádico y ahora va tras los chicos malos como si nada, eso no es un final de un libro lleno de cosas crueles, oscuras y que han ido demasiado lejos en verdad esperaba un final más realista porque no todas las situaciones, especialmente de este tipo, terminan con una sonrisa y alguien salvando al mundo de los malos. Sigo diciendo que fue un libro ambicioso y que no debió existir. Un libro demasiado romantizado a mi parecer y para nada hay que romantizar cosas como estas y hay que tener cuidado de muchas personas que leen estas cosas y quieren algo así.
Y hasta aquí mi review, no recomiendo leerlo, aunque es fácil de leer, es el peor libro de la serie y me hizo pensar que ni siquiera merece 2 estrellas así que se convirtió en 1 estrella a lo largo que escribía mi reseña.
This was the darkest series I’ve ever read. This is darker than pitch black and is NOT a dark romance. If you have a trigger, it is in these books! These were dark, gruesome, and so crazy. I honestly didn’t know what to expect going in blind, but I was not disappointed. I was on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time and didn’t want to put this down. The characters, the plot, the writing-everything about this was so good, so addictive. Absolutely exceptional. And THE FEMININE RAGE was *𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙛𝙨 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨!* Everleigh was the most badass FMC and she will forever be my favorite.
Do you want a series that will make you cry, scream, feel a little queasy, and have you questioning everything while keeping you on edge the whole time? This series will do that for you and then some. I highly recommend it if you enjoy and can handle the truly dark stuff.
The dark and depraved souls of Whitlock are back! There are no words to adequately describe how amazingly jaw-dropping this book is! There are no questions left unanswered and seeing Bram and Everleigh's story wrapped up was something I wasn't completely prepared for! If you haven't started this series, do yourself a favor and do it now! A.A. Dark is an amazing writer and this series will drag you in so deep you won't want to come back out!
I’d been waiting on this for what felt like forever. Gotta say though, it was well worth it. There was no lacking in drama as usual and the plot just thickens before coming to a nice in your face finale and even a bit of happily ever after, which I didn’t think would ever be possible. I’m gonna miss this series but also can’t wait to see what else the author has. Though I don’t think anything can be darker than Whitlock!
Completely and utterly blown away. Get ready Whitlock fans. You are so NOT prepared for this journey.
I’m still thinking about what I just read. I’ll write more when my brain slows down. I couldn’t do it justice right now. I also don’t want to give anything away. I’m just...Holy WHOA.
Well, crap. What can I say. It’s violent, it’s dark, and it ends it all. Bram is the ultimate dark book boyfriend. He has outlasted them all. Everleigh is a phoenix...she keeps rising from the ashes. I did think that Luke was going to end up the victor somehow...but that’s not an AA Dark ending. Dang, bye Whitlock . Good show!!
Honestly - this has taken the top spot on my BOOKS I HATE list. This is an abomination. I hated this book & series so much that I couldn't write a review. I think the last review I did was Welcome to Whitlock and that put me in such a horrid mood that I went weeks without reviewing. Ugh -
I'm not putting a lot of effort into this review because it doesn't deserve any of my attention - and this DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS -
So if you are still suicidal enough to finish this series - you need to read Welcome to Whitlock first or you won't know who half these people are.
Everleigh and Bram are still playing this stupid cat & mouse game. Bram's guards end up turning against him and taking over Whitlock. One guard kills little 3-yo Alvin, guts him, and then defiles his body. Because you know - fun times and all.
Bram takes that one cannibal guy and keeps him alive while cutting off his limbs and making him eat himself. It's gross, but I guess as far as revenge goes - it's pretty epic.
Bram and Everleigh both get tortured and now Bram might be paralyzed from the waist down. LOL
Then the government comes in to monitor Whitlock, and Bram's uncle or aunt or someone takes over so he and Everleigh can leave. She then has a press conference and tells the world about how she was kidnapped. Then gives a PSA on sex trafficking.
The only thing that is consistent at Whitlock is it is volatile and at any moment with the right spark it will blow up all around you. Everleigh as always is not one to be trifled with especially when you mess with anything that is hers. The board stood idly by when they allowed Harper to create the Women she is now. The only question is will they survive her wrath when all is said and done. I laughed, I cried I screamed at my iPad. I expected nothing less from A.A. Dark as always she does not disappoint. Fasten you’re seat belts and pray you championed the winning side because you ain’t seen nothing yet.
This book!!! Alaska killed it with this stupendous conclusion!! I really don't have words for it. This series went out with a bang (both literally and metaphorically lol). It was heartbreaking and REAL. It provided the audience courage to accept things which they would prefer to overlook. And I can't even say how great that ending was. Just....a lot of awe for this book and Everleigh.
Let me explain this book another way.
This is who Everleigh is Right now, I was a killer. A conniving, smart, blood-thirsty bitch determined to rise above all those who thought they could break me.
These are the thoughts she followed Be careful who you get close to. Trust slowly. Listen eagerly. Talk only when you believe in what you have to say, and only if you know it to be the truth. Never break your word to those loyal to you, but never believe loyalty is unbreakable. It is our friends that will be the first to hurt us. React gracefully. Someone is always watching. The way the world sees you is a mirror of how you see yourself. Let them see nothing but love. Then, when they’re not looking…drop the match and burn them to the ground.”
This is what she taught and made sure to embed deep in the reader's psyche Beware of women. Period. We always find a way to survive.”
If you don't love her already, I don't like you 🔪☠️
P.S- I want a book or even a novella for Nineteen and Elaine!!!! Their chemistry was fucking explosive.
⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ Check your triggers! This is NOT dark romance This series is pitch black (And then some...) Read at your own risk
OBSESSED!!! When I say I was invested, I mean fully unhinged, could not stop, ignoring responsibilities invested. This series devoured me. I binged the whole thing in 5 days and I have no regerts, other than me now trying to figure out how to move on because… excuse me?? It’s over??? Do not ask me about these books individually. I flew through them so fast, they're just all one long book in my mind.
The world has that grim dystopian feel - dark, devastating, traumatic, and somehow addicting as hell. This series is an absolute trainwreck in the best/worst/most emotionally destructive ways. If you have any triggers, just assume they're all in here. I loved and hated SO many of these characters (and there are a lot). I had no clue who to trust or what fresh chaos was coming next. My anxiety was doing cartwheels but I was loving it.
As I got closer to the end, I was spiraling. I had no idea what kind of finale I was about to walk into after everything this series put me through, but the payoff? SO worth it. The ending was chaotic in the most glorious, unhinged way and I ate it up.
There is so much more I want to scream about. Someone else please read this immediately so I’m not alone in this emotional wreckage!!!
Holy hell… this series. The 24690 series by A.A. Dark is a five-star read for me. I cannot recommend it enough—but I cannot stress enough how important it is to read the trigger warnings and take them seriously. This story does not flinch or hold back.
With that said, once you start, there’s no stopping. The pacing is relentless, the tension suffocating, and the emotional weight sits heavy on your chest the entire time. A.A. Dark doesn’t just write darkness—she unearths it, exposing the ugliest corners of our world in a way that is both harrowing and devastatingly real. That brutal honesty gives this series its power and depth.
Everleigh (24690) is everything. Her strength, her feral determination, her unfiltered rage to tear down the evil that stole her life and tried to consume her… it’s unforgettable. Watching her fight not just the monsters of the world but the darkness forced inside her is heartbreaking and inspiring in equal measure. She is a survivor in the rawest, most painful sense of the word.
This story is not easy. It’s not meant to be. It’s a gut-wrenching reflection of the crimes we know exist in this world and the desperate, brutal reality of surviving them. And yet, through all that pain, it delivers something incredibly powerful: the will to endure, to fight back, and to reclaim yourself.
This was that series for me. I am still speechless & struggling to put into words how truly phenomenal this series was, & to give it the proper justice it deserves. It has consumed me, altered my brain chemistry, made me cry, scream, gag, scream some more, & question everything…. Including my morals. I was in absolute SHOCK every time I sat down to read this series. I was on the EDGE OF MY SEAT everytime I flipped a page, wondering who to trust & wondering if I was truly going insane?!! This is a top 2025 read for me & I cannot recommend it enough 😭🖤
4.5⭐️ I am actually so sad this series has officially came to an end. Went to hell and back. This series will stay with me forever, i am not over it😭 absolutely devastating, all consuming, has you questioning everything & feeling every emotion. New favorite author. This was darker than pitch black, every trigger is in this series, so beware. RTC
I’m DONE diving deeper into the WHITLOCK world By the end of this part I was EXHAUSTED like I was just PUSHING myself to finish something that didn’t hit anymore. The FIRST book? It was DARK, INTENSE and actually felt DIFFERENT from all the basic stuff out there. But the rest? It didn’t keep that same energy
At the beginning of book 2 I was SO hooked I didn’t even wanna put it down I thought it was gonna get DEEPER and more COMPLEX and for a sec it DID Things were building up in a GOOD way But then… BOOM new characters showed up and the story started losing BALANCE They felt super SHALLOW and lowkey pointless like they were just tossed in to STRETCH the story
Not gonna lie I don’t HATE Everleigh but I never got WHY everyone was so OBSESSED with her
Only one who kept me interested was BRAM🧎🏻♀️➡️DARK as hell but his inner struggles made him feel REAL—way more than the rest of ‘em.
And the ENDING? So disappointing I wanted a HAPPY ending but instead got some CLICHÉD mess that didn’t even FIT the vibe of the story
I have to admit, I was a little disappointed in this book. The ending fell flat and I almost gave up a number of times. The action picked up in the middle, but toward the end it just seemed to go on and on and then didn't really lead anywhere in the final chapter.
The writing also isn't the easiest to read, there are points where the author uses the wrong character names (refers to master hunt instead of master king) and there were a few grammar/punctuation errors throughout the book which detracted me from the story. There were a number of times i had to jump back a chapter or two and re-read because something later in the book didn't make a whole lot of sense.
Overall, this is a dark read and I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a pitch black book, but I would give cautionary advise that its a tough read, not just because of the dark theme but because of the chaotic style of writing.
From the beginning of this series i felt like I was witnessing the worst train wreck and yet I could not look away. The representation and horrors felt so real. Yet, I had to keep reading because there had to be a positive spin on this. I had to know that all of these characters found peace.
This book combined everything into one and have the series the closure it needed. Humans can be vile and this book showed it. However, it also showed that humans are resilient and will fight no matter the odds.
"Be careful who you get close to. Trust slowly. Listen eagerly. Talk only when you believe in what you have to say,and only if you know it to be the truth. Never break your word to those loyal to you, but never believe loyalty is unbreakable. It is our friends that will be the first to hurt us. React gracefully. You're a Davenport. Someone is always watching. The way the world sees you is a mirror of how you see yourself. Let them see nothing but love. Then, when they're not looking...drop the match and burn them to the ground."
Ok. This series was A LOT to take it. It was a hellish journey at times (and I will admit I had to step away to take a break for a week in the middle of reading these back to back).
If you are going to venture into this series check the trigger warnings because this is not a dark romance. I would classify this as a pitch black to oblivion horror story with some twists along the way.
I was down with all the feminine rage in the story and the author very effectively sunk her claws into me so I absolutely had to know what happened to everyone.
Would recommend but tread lightly and be mindful of your limits before jumping in.