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The Dark Fights
Escaping a traumatic childhood, Sasha finds peace, sanctuary, and purpose in a martial arts dojo whose sensei teaches her the ways of the samurai warrior. An accomplished black-belt fighter, she now happily dwells in the dojo, tucked away from the streets of Manhattan, until a midnight call sets her on a path into an underground world. Struggling to pay off a gambling debt, her brother Danilo is severely injured in a no-rules club fight run by unscrupulous Russian Mafiosi. To settle the debt, Sasha volunteers to perform in one of these ''dark fights,'' vowing it's for one time only. But her beauty, skill, and martial arts mastery bring her to the attention of powerful men who see her as a big meal ticket. Seducing her with money and drugs they draw her into their sordid scheme until she becomes a big and glamorous draw, enriching herself while enriching her handlers and leaving behind a pulverized host of vanquished rivals. But she realizes how addictive the lure of brutality has become. As the stakes rise, she must become more and more violent to satisfy her handlers' bloodlust. Can she pull out before destroying someone? Can she pull out before destroying herself? Two fascinating men offer love and escape. But how true are their intentions? Genuine feelings and betrayal, violence and glamour, sex and martial arts all go hand in hand throughout the book. The Dark Fights introduces you to an unknown and frightening world and pins you to the mat until the very last page.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published August 11, 2020
4 people are currently reading
902 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 6, 2020
Even if it's well written the story didn't keep my attention and fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
January 20, 2023
We drive slowly through the streets and then get onto the Henry Hudson Parkway and the car picks up speed. I lean back looking not at the road but at Drago's profile. He knows I am looking at him and smiles. I can see the smile in the corner of his mouth. I feel I am caught in a strange moment where time stands still, where the world outside is of no importance, and this little space inside the car is all that really exists in the whole universe. I am also intensely conscious of feeling happy. I guess I never really knew before what this word meant, but now I know. I am happy right now, in this very moment. Happy just sitting in the car next to him. When I say it like that it sounds so simple, but if you really think about it, it is quite overwhelming. Being happy just because another human, a specific human being, is next to you. Out of the multitude of people, suddenly there emerges one person, who has this effect on you. Hmm, not so simple after all.
~~Sasha is described as "beauty" and "samurai princess" numerous times in The Dark Fights . She keeps her hair long, although it is braided for fights. It was tough to find an online picture that fits that description. Mixed martial arts cage fights are brutal. Many female fighters shave their heads like in the picture above. However, Vinarov did a good job describing the brutality--the above picture illustrates facial injuries that are all too common.
First two sentences: There are no more than ten people in the ER waiting room. It is past eleven at night and rather quiet, NY1 News humming drowsily somewhere in the background.
Sasha is in the ER waiting room with her brother, Danilo. Orphans, they turn to each other for strength. But lately Sasha has seemed to be the only strong one. She has dedicated herself to martial arts training, and become a uchi-deshi, living at the dojo, and training full time. Danilo, on the other hand, has traded martial arts for modeling gigs, and immersed himself in the glittery night club life, complete with an ever growing gambling debt.
To pay off that debt, he has been strong armed into competing in a *dark fight*. These are non-legal, no rules fights that often result in grievous bodily injury. Sasha is helping him seek treatment for those injuries. It's clear that Danilo is in no shape to survive dark fights, physically or mentally. It's even more clear that he can't seem to stop gambling. Sasha decides to set aside the teachings of her sensei and participate in a dark fight to try and save her brother. Will seeing her hurt because of him be enough to change Danny's ways? Will Sasha be able to hang onto any of her teachings from the dojo? Who can she trust in this world she's stepping into? Two men want to help her, one of them from the opening quote. Will either of them live up to their words?
My two cents: The premise of the novel intrigued me, but as a couple other reviewers pointed out, this story arc has been done before, and done better. The prose and dialogue is average at best, and many of the characters weren't flushed out well. Fair warning, the fight scenes are graphic. If you enjoy thriller fight scenes in books and movies, then this might be for you. It's clear, even without reading the back book flap, that Vinarov has personal experience with grabbling and take down techniques. She shown in her fight descriptions. Not recommended otherwise. Given 2 stars or a rating of "average".
~~Sasha is described as "beauty" and "samurai princess" numerous times in The Dark Fights . She keeps her hair long, although it is braided for fights. It was tough to find an online picture that fits that description. Mixed martial arts cage fights are brutal. Many female fighters shave their heads like in the picture above. However, Vinarov did a good job describing the brutality--the above picture illustrates facial injuries that are all too common.
First two sentences: There are no more than ten people in the ER waiting room. It is past eleven at night and rather quiet, NY1 News humming drowsily somewhere in the background.
Sasha is in the ER waiting room with her brother, Danilo. Orphans, they turn to each other for strength. But lately Sasha has seemed to be the only strong one. She has dedicated herself to martial arts training, and become a uchi-deshi, living at the dojo, and training full time. Danilo, on the other hand, has traded martial arts for modeling gigs, and immersed himself in the glittery night club life, complete with an ever growing gambling debt.
To pay off that debt, he has been strong armed into competing in a *dark fight*. These are non-legal, no rules fights that often result in grievous bodily injury. Sasha is helping him seek treatment for those injuries. It's clear that Danilo is in no shape to survive dark fights, physically or mentally. It's even more clear that he can't seem to stop gambling. Sasha decides to set aside the teachings of her sensei and participate in a dark fight to try and save her brother. Will seeing her hurt because of him be enough to change Danny's ways? Will Sasha be able to hang onto any of her teachings from the dojo? Who can she trust in this world she's stepping into? Two men want to help her, one of them from the opening quote. Will either of them live up to their words?
My two cents: The premise of the novel intrigued me, but as a couple other reviewers pointed out, this story arc has been done before, and done better. The prose and dialogue is average at best, and many of the characters weren't flushed out well. Fair warning, the fight scenes are graphic. If you enjoy thriller fight scenes in books and movies, then this might be for you. It's clear, even without reading the back book flap, that Vinarov has personal experience with grabbling and take down techniques. She shown in her fight descriptions. Not recommended otherwise. Given 2 stars or a rating of "average".
September 7, 2020
A book that once I got started and into the characters especially Sasha, I found this story to be really compelling. Sasha living at a Dojo in Manhattan and is one if of the few women to ever to live and train under the master. Being a Black Belt, she finds herself being drawn to wanting to save her brother who he being sucked in because of gambling. She is also being forced by her uncle to fight who is a Russian mafia leader and who wants her to fight in the dark fights to pay off her brothers’ debuts.
You are taken from the Dojo and her leaving to the fights and where she becomes strong with the help of a man who she believes is in love with her. Here you are taken on her journey. One of finding herself and finding love. She wants to stay with her martial arts for its give her center and that is what she is looking for in her personal relationships and hope to find love.
Her story takes you through many different emotions and surprises, especially with characters. A few that she thinks are her friends are really against her and when she meets one in the cage you see where the author is taking you. I thought was still not ready for what happens as you get closer to the end and more is revealed. A very good story with really good characters. I received this book from Netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow www.1rad-readerreviews.com
You are taken from the Dojo and her leaving to the fights and where she becomes strong with the help of a man who she believes is in love with her. Here you are taken on her journey. One of finding herself and finding love. She wants to stay with her martial arts for its give her center and that is what she is looking for in her personal relationships and hope to find love.
Her story takes you through many different emotions and surprises, especially with characters. A few that she thinks are her friends are really against her and when she meets one in the cage you see where the author is taking you. I thought was still not ready for what happens as you get closer to the end and more is revealed. A very good story with really good characters. I received this book from Netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow www.1rad-readerreviews.com
dnf
May 17, 2023No rating because DNF. For some reason I was under the impression this was a dark romance (thanks kindle marketing 🙄).. definitely not. It’s more like a coming of age story for a woman in her 20s, who is a fighter. Great if that’s what you’re looking for, but it’s not what I was.
Also- I found the story very flat. The non MC characters infuriated me as they were all hypocritical, including sensei.
There is no room for the reader to generate thoughts and feelings of their own from the book. The way the author has written the FMC’s internal dialogue leaves nothing up for debate. The reader is forced to feel how everyone else feels in the story. Personally I’m not a fan of that, but others may be.
Also- I found the story very flat. The non MC characters infuriated me as they were all hypocritical, including sensei.
There is no room for the reader to generate thoughts and feelings of their own from the book. The way the author has written the FMC’s internal dialogue leaves nothing up for debate. The reader is forced to feel how everyone else feels in the story. Personally I’m not a fan of that, but others may be.
April 20, 2022
I liked it but I found it to be very slow. it's a simple story that's been done before but this one has a twist. there are characters depicted as for her and against her....its the story you need to figure out for yourself. the highs and lows have been written many times before but this is definitely an unusual setting.
there's a bit of steam but not a lot and not a lot of romance ..mainly about a girl that goes through some growing pains in the hands of some pretty nasty people....
there's a bit of steam but not a lot and not a lot of romance ..mainly about a girl that goes through some growing pains in the hands of some pretty nasty people....
August 12, 2020
Taunt and dark. A woman struggling within herself to choose the right path for herself. Well written and riveting immerse yourself in Sasha''s world until her shocking end. No not telling you what path she chose. You're going to have to read it for yourself. Happy reading! #TheDarkFights #NetGalley
March 10, 2023
I thought there would be so much potential for this story. There was my enough character relationship for me to like how it ended. It just fell flat for me.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews