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Abducted. Drugged. Broken.
I am plaything, a possession. If I did ever have a name, I don't remember it now. Slaves don't have names.

My new Master rescued me and took me into his care. He protects me from the sadistic madman who is determined to steal me back from him.

Master's touch keeps me sane. His control keeps me grounded in reality. I am utterly devoted to my savior, but his brand of rescue might leave me more broken than ever.

Do I have a hope of finding freedom when he refuses to release my heart? Or is this new form of captivity exactly what I need to survive?

369 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 27, 2013

300 people are currently reading
1406 people want to read

About the author

Julia Sykes

137 books2,014 followers
Julia Sykes is a USA Today bestselling author of edgy, emotional romance. When she's not writing, she's usually reading.

Other than reading, her obsessions include iced coffee, unicorns, charcuterie, aged Manchego cheese (or any cheese, really), and fancy dresses.

An American expat, Julia now lives in her adopted, beloved home of York, England. Most days, you can find her wandering the cobbled streets and daydreaming about her next novel.

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5 stars
579 (46%)
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423 (33%)
3 stars
193 (15%)
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39 (3%)
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22 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
Profile Image for XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy.
1,563 reviews509 followers
October 28, 2016
This story broke my heart. It's extremely graphic in nature. There is severe abuse, rape, and captivity. There are heavy references to the BDSM, slave/Master, sub/Dom lifestyle in both unhealthy and healthy practice. At the center of it is a woman who we start getting to know as Slave. She is fractured, fragile. I cannot warn enough about the intensity not only of her experience but the aftermath. To be in her head is to go through the atrocities she endured as well as the loss and eventual recovery of who she once was. Smith rescues her in more than a physical sense. He is who she needed to recover an aspect of her life that was tainted by something ugly. I was pleasantly surprised by the detail in the story. The suspense is built and paced very well. The characters are very distinct and complex. Their flaws are exposed. Their progression raw with vulnerability but fortified by compassion and understanding. The story elicits strong emotion. I would have liked a little more of Smith's perspective. It's hard to gauge the ending without his view for context. It's not perfect, but I can't give the efforts any less than my best. Safety: There is someone else for one of them. I don't want to spoil so I will say that I found the circumstance to be understandable. To reiterate, there is severe rape and abuse.
Profile Image for Christine Wallflower & Dark Romance Junkie .
495 reviews3,668 followers
December 14, 2013


Okay, so I'll be honest and say that I'm not a huge fan of BDSM in the books I read. Reason being I feel it's a game and I don't like games, but with Knight I actually enjoyed the BDSM aspect of the book. It wasn't OTT and I understood why the characters needed it in their lives.

Something that I also found refreshing was the fact that Smith wasn't a billionaire who had some deep dark secret. He was an addict and the BDSM lifestyle helped him fight his addiction.



She has no recollection of who she is or where she came from, all she knows is she is a slave. An instrument to her master, victim to the whims of a mad man who also happens to call himself her master.

When her master leaves her alone at a BDSM club, she thinks it's a test and doesn't even entertain the idea that she might at last be free of the man who has been terrorising her for months. But when FBI agent Smith calms her and convinces her that she is free, she quickly latches on to him claiming him as her Master despite his reluctance.



An intense and serious man, FBI agent Smith wants her badly but feels as if his needs as a Dom will further trauatise someone who has been abused like her. But she wears his resistance down and finally he admits and succumbs to the instincts that are pushing him to claim her as his Sub.

Here's what I liked about this book
I liked the fact that Smith was 100% alpha, he didn't try to hide it even when he was dealing with the heroines skittishness. The book read well, I enjoyed the writing style and it moved at a gradual pace that lead to a great ending.

The sex scene were intense and very hot, I actually enjoyed all the "play" I liked the fact that the villain was always a threat to their happiness, he didn't just disappear.


Here's what I didn't like
Actually I had a few questions:
1. Why was the heroine left at the club all alone, where was her kidnapper?
2. Who is the mentor? (in this case I think I might find out in the next book)

What didn't gel quite well with me:
1. The transition from traumatised victim to survivor happened way too quickly.

Final Thoughts
I really did enjoy Knight and I will definitely read the other books in the series. It was hot with a dash of tortured heroine and dark hero.



ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Lady Vigilante (Feifei).
632 reviews2,976 followers
Read
December 15, 2013
DNF

Unfortunately, I didn't finish this one. Not going to go into full details but some problems I had with the book that derailed me from enjoying it:

1. The overuse of endearments. The sheer number of sweethearts and girl felt excessive and Smith switched back and forth between them, and when he had a mood swing - whoosh - from sweetheart to slave to girl to slave then to sweetheart? I don't know...

2. The book felt dragged out. I'm an impatient reader. I like quick. I have no patience for slow plots and although this plot was great, I'm sorry to say, I had no patience for it.

3. The slave/Lydia. I must applaud the author here for brilliantly portraying a truly broken character. She is the most fragile china doll I've ever read about so I could justify her heavy reliance on her "Master." However, it got to a point where I thought 'enough is enough.' I don't want to read about how she whines and whimpers for the hundredth time.

4. Smith and Lydia's connection. I never understood it. With the author's clarification, you do get to know more about why Smith focused his attention on Lydia later, it's just I didn't read far enough to find out since I put this book down.

Copy kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just cruising along this normal Thursday afternoon here in the States....and BAM I see this baby! My dark and twisted self says YES!

description

Profile Image for Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾.
2,314 reviews13.7k followers
June 3, 2014
3.5 Stars


Your name, girl.
Tell me. Now."
Fear flashed across her features.
"F-fucktoy," she whispered tremulously."


This book was very different from anything I've ever read in the past and I struggled with my rating because of it. I'm a big fan of Dark Romance and BDSM and I've read plenty of it, but this was a mix of a few things and yet...not.

Knight starts off with Smith's POV during the FBI raid of a BDSM club. Being a Dominant himself, it's not something that's out of his normal routine, but what Smith finds there manages to test even his carefully mastered control and anger. Because among the the faceless bodies in that place, he sees her. A woman that is clearly a sub, but even more clear a victim...but of what, he doesn't know yet.

I didn't have a name. If I did ever have a name, I didn't remember it now. I was a slave, and slaves don't have names.

The rest of the book gets told in her POV.

She knows herself only as slave. A woman so broken, she's shattered, all at the hands of a monster that has put her through hell. Slave has suffered atrocities that are so painful, just the mere memory has the power to bring her to her knees. She doesn't know the woman that she once was, she doesn't remember her...nor does she want to. She's no longer that woman. She's buried that in the recess of her mind never to be accessed again.

I'll be honest, the first 30% of so was very slow. It was difficult to read, and not because it was bad. Julia Sykes' writing is captivating, and I enjoyed the way she painted a very vivid and painfully dark experience that Slave suffered. Slave is as broken as they come. Broken down to a mere shell of who she once was, she was as fragile as glass.

Smith knows that no medicine can help Slave in the state that she's in. As a Dom, he knows the control and rules that she so desperately needs and clings to in order to maintain her fragile grasp on reality. So he takes it upon himself to give her that.

Julia Sykes did a fantastic job painting a very realistic picture of a woman that is beyond damaged. I understood her almost obsession and utter devotion to Smith.

I also enjoyed the progression that she goes through from Slave to a semblance of the woman she once was.

Although I wouldn't call this a dark book, the things that Slave goes through were horrendous and not easy to digest. You have to prepare yourself since it's no light read. However, it's also not an action packed and high paced one. The progression is slow moving and slow building, which ultimately makes the story, yet also makes it difficult to get into right away.

Although slower paced that what I'd normally read, it managed to constantly keep me on my toes not knowing what would happen next. Julia manages to throw in some BAM moments that kept me guessing and on pins and needles almost afraid to see what would come next.

The overuse of endearments like "sweetheart" and "girl" did grate on me at times, but nothing that diminished my enjoyment. The love story is not an orthodox one, that's for sure. What begins as as a clingy obsession turns into something much more eventually.

I really loved the way that the author build the heroine back up throughout the book. She goes from slave to her true identity in a very realistic way. This was not something that happened overnight and you feel that emotion and pain right along with her.

I can't say that this is something I ever see myself going back to, but I did enjoy it. And I will definitely be continuing with the series as I'm invested in the story and very curious to see what the next book brings. Particularly with the "Mentor" still not caught.

Mainly told in Slave's POV, the prologue and epilogue we do also get Smith.

**ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review**

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Profile Image for NMmomof4.
1,788 reviews5,035 followers
February 28, 2018
3.5 Stars

Overall Opinion: I was in the mood for something different, and this was definitely that! I enjoyed that the story touched the dangerous aspects and assumptions people make about BDSM, but it also addressed the importance of BDSM to some individuals as well. It was like exposing the two sides of the coin in the BDSM argument. I liked the mc's connection, and I liked their progression into something more. I did feel a little conflicted at times about the appropriateness of the H crossing that line, but I also felt like the author worked that out for me closer to the end. It was enjoyable, but I'm not sure it'll be all that memorable in the long run and it won't be going on my favorites shelf either.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Slave and Smith's story. They meet when Smith finds Slave when he raids a BDSM club with his fellow FBI agents. They are instantly drawn to each other, and he feels a strong need to protect her. Slave is severely damaged from her past master, and she doesn't know her own identity. When it becomes obvious that Slave's previous master is still after her, Smith takes it upon himself to ensure her safety. There is a lot of baggage to work through, some sexy times, and some sweet moments...and they get a HFN ending.

POV: This was told mainly in Slave's POV, but there were a few sections told in Smith's.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.

Instalove: No, but feelings do develop quickly because of the nature of their relationship.

H rating: 3.5 stars. Smith. I liked him, but I do think he crossed the line at times with appropriateness.

h rating: 4 stars. Slave. I liked her. I felt bad for all of the trauma she had endured, but I appreciated her strength as well.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes

Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. BDSM dynamics

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW/OM drama: Yes

Sex scene with OW or OM: Not technically

Cheating: Yes

Separation: Yes

Possible Triggers: Yes

Closure: This had alright closure, but I wanted a farther glimpse into their future. I would call this a HFN ending

Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers
Profile Image for Hayley Faiman.
Author 117 books1,799 followers
December 4, 2013
This is the story of
Slave
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and FBI Agent Smith James.


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It isn't hearts and flowers... It isn't about a two whole people falling in love and living happily ever after... It is about a woman who was kidnapped and kept in seclusion then she was tortured and finally broken... She doesn't even remember her own name. James and his team are taking down the BDSM Club Decadence in a Latin Kings drug raid that has been using the club for trafficking drugs. That is where he first sees Slave standing alone in a corner in the dark.

"Your name girl," I demanded, my voice sharp and authoritative. "Tell me now," fear flashed across her features.
"F-fucktoy," she whispered tremulously.

Slave things that Agent James is her new Master ... She is addicted to heroin and taken immediately to a detox center where he refuses to leave her side. Smith is a Dom and thinks she has been mishandled by her own Dom until he soon discovers that she has bee held against her will as a Slave and so far beyond broken that she can't even recall the woman she was before her kidnapping.

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Her old Master, her kidnapper, is now referred to as "that bastard" and tries to kidnap her yet again. Agent James breaks protocol and takes her home with him.

"You're mine now Little One." The ferocious edge to his voice made me quiver, delightedly. "That Bastard can't hurt you anymore." More tears welled up as joy soared through me.
"You are mine now."
His.

Through several days of being together and trying to discover her likes and dislikes she discovers she is an artist and draws herself with the word Lydia escaping her mouth. She has remembered her name but she fears it as well because she is not that same girl, can she go back to her old life when the FBI finds her family? Does she even want to?

"You're my Master, I belong to you, Master."

Lydia seduces Smith without a whole ton of resistance on his part.

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Then.... Her identity is discovered by James' coworker and her family is found which includes a husband. She must go back to Chicago .. She must leave Master and she must try and piece her life back together. But can she do all of that without Master James? Is she sick because she loves him? Is it true love or just an obsession because he saved her?

Without being able to contain my spoilers I will just say that...All is revealed in the end... I am happy to say that you'll get your HEA, but don't expect the HEA to be too sugar sweet.. There is a little bit of bitterness stuck in there as well because as in life nothing is perfection.

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All in all if your looking for a darker read with BDSM ... Then you'll like it I do believe!!

I cannot wait to read the next book!!!

Profile Image for Siobhan.
5,030 reviews598 followers
September 27, 2018
Knight is the fourth book in the Impossible series, and I was insanely excited for this one. Our male lead in this one is a character I’d come to enjoy in the prior books, and I could not wait to see how his story played out. Add in the fact this one sounded darker than the prior books, and I was more than happy to dive in.

As I’d hoped, Knight is the darkest of the first four Impossible books. This one deals with a really heavy topic and takes us to places the prior books did not. It is not the darkest book I have ever read – I have read more dark romances than I can recall – but this was more in line with my usual standard than the prior books have been.

Although plenty happens throughout Knight, it is a slower book than the prior Impossible books. However, it introduces a number of things that will play an important role in the rest of the series. With things building so slowly, you find yourself lost to the story and unaware of just how deep into it you have been sucked. I admit there were times when I felt like things did drag a bit, but the story made it more than worth it.

As much as I enjoyed the story, I’m going to be honest and say I did not feel the chemistry in this one. I really enjoyed watching the way things developed, but the relationship did not hit me in the same way the relationships did in the prior book. I think, with Knight, we could have done with some scenes from both points of views. Receiving only one point of view made it difficult to appreciate some aspects of the story, and I feel like I would have enjoyed the relationship between the two a lot more had I been inside both characters’ heads.

Overall, though, this was another fun read. It may not have been my favourite couple, but it was certainly the darkest of the stories (a fact I really enjoyed).
Profile Image for J.
3,104 reviews50 followers
October 1, 2016
This is what good erotica is (in my opinion). Great story (including a little suspense), great writing and strong main characters. This is about BDSM and is explicit and I couldn't put it down.

It is about a young married woman, missing something in her marriage, so she has begun exploring a BDSM club. A psycho who had observed her at the club abducts her in the parking lot on her way home and brutally imprisons and uses her as his sex slave. Some time later the BDSM club is raided by the FBI for drugs, and the woman is observed there by one of the FBI agents. She is a total shell of a woman who doesn't even know her name, obviously strung out on drugs. The FBI agent suspects there is more to her story than just drugs and makes it his mission to at least get her into drug rehabilitation.

It turns out that FBI agent is a Dom, who turned to BDSM to help him fight his own drug addiction and other personal demons. He helps the woman through withdrawals and then takes it upon himself to also try and overcome the psychosis and nightmares that are haunting her because of whatever happened. He puts his job at risk by trying to help her. He is a devoted alpha male DOM and she, over time, becomes a strong willed, caring sub.

This story explores BDSM with no judgments made (except one brief moment with one of her girlfriends). It also has a strong theme of accepting yourself for who you are and what you want, and not living your life to please someone else.

A wonderful read.
Profile Image for Amber Rose.
321 reviews840 followers
Read
April 28, 2016
I was unable to connect to this book and the characters. I only made it to 30% and gave up. I wanted to love this book and have some sort of connection but was unable to do so. Sucks when that happens.

Copy provided by author for exchanged for an honest review.

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Profile Image for Shurrn.
561 reviews902 followers
one-rainy-day
November 26, 2014
I had the opportunity to chat with Julia Sykes at the 2014 Louisville Author Event.
She was a total sweetheart when I told her - with embarrassment - that Monster was gathering virtual dust, unread on my Kindle at the time of our meeting. She said she also suffered from an overactive "one-click-button" finger and an endless TBR... She was sweet enough to autograph a copy of he book for me.
Profile Image for Tee Loves Books.
950 reviews
August 22, 2014
****4.5 stars***


Not for the faint of heart but a must-read for those of us who can appreciate the beauty in a truly dark romance, Knight takes readers on a painful and twisted journey with a woman who has faced a nightmare of agony and humiliation. An unnamed heroine for most of the story, her existence has been torn down to two identities- ‘slave’ to the bastard that took her, and any number of endearments that her rescuer, detective Smith James, has bestowed upon her. When he found this shell of a woman- terrified, beaten, and jonesing for her next hit- dominant Smith was disgusted by the way she had been treated. But what started out as his attempt to help her through detox and get her on her feet turned into so much more. She needed a Master to bridge her way from slavery into reality, and Smith was her choice whether he wanted it or not.

I absolutely LOVED the premise of this story! Lydia, our “Jane Doe” heroine, had quite literally been through hell and back, and she was this fragile shell on the verge of cracking into a million tiny pieces. Her muddled and terrified thoughts of utter paranoia were brilliantly written, I felt as though I was reliving all of her fears and pain right along with her as she tried to get through each day. The experience was horrific, but she had made it through the hard part…or had she? She was in such a state of distress and insecurity that she was desperate for that strength and stability that a true dom, not the piece of shit that raped and beat her, would give her. And Smith…oooh, lord, Smith. I just wanted to lick him and have him bend me over to spank me for the fun of it, he was so yummy!! So strong for Lydia at every turn, but so torn over the role he was playing in this madness. He was the epitome of the dominant male a pillar of fortitude for his sub but tender with her when she needed it. And a “Holy shit sexy!!” one at that, I honestly got goosebumps when he finally ‘claimed’ his woman! I loved him, just loved him.

Then there were the twists, and damn they came unexpectedly and wrenched my heart! Just when you think to yourself “well this became a happy ending pretty early on…”, Sykes rips apart that reality and you’re left to wrap your mind around the next crossroads for Lydia. I never once got bored or irritated going through her struggled thoughts with her, you really just experience the therapeutic discussions in her mind as she does. Reality for her had been forever altered, and Sykes did an amazing job at making all of it progress in a believable way.

When all was said and done, this was a gut-wrenching, meaningful, deeply twisted love story that readers will have trouble putting down, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great dark read!

Quotes:

It was the first time I could recall the woman I had been before I was broken. But remembering her was almost as agonizing as the memories of what had been done to her. She had been strong and brave and defiant. She would have found what I was now to be abhorrent. ~Loc 141

He had mentioned others that he had tortured before her. They had died.
Once, she had tried to die. But he wouldn’t let her. ~Loc 307

“Are you still prepare to go to hell with me, Lydia?” He asked roughly.
“Of course, Master,” I promised huskily. “So long as you take me to heaven and back first.” ~Loc 3618

Find this and more of my reviews at:
http://www.autumnreview.com/search/la...

Profile Image for CarolBee.
261 reviews16 followers
December 22, 2013
I was surprised by this one. I don't usually care for BDSM stories. If its there then that's fine. I mostly pay attention to the connection the characters have with each other and how believable the sexual relationship is. I really gave this five stars because the female lead Lydia was such an excellent heroine. Her behavior in the beginning was a struggle to accept, but that wasn't because of Lydia's misjudgment (which typically irks me when I see that the lead is making annoyingly unnecessary decisions). She had to succumb to the only thing she knew to recover. How Julia Sykes described Lydia's processing worked was so intricate and understandable that I couldn't fault her on leaning on another man so desperately. And Smith.. Man, he was just MEANT for her. I feel like regardless of what happened to her, they would still end up together in the relationship that they fell into. But how he helped her recover while battling his own demons. SNAPS FOR YOU, SMITH. He was so patient and kind to her, but still knew exactly what she needed.

"Are you still prepared to go to hell with me, Lydia?"

"Of course, Master.. So long as you take me to heaven and back first."


Heed to the warning though. It is pretty traumatizing. I cringed and had to assimilate myself A LOT. But Lydia's road to find herself again, and with Smith, was worth it.
Profile Image for Becky.
1,926 reviews65 followers
February 25, 2018
Confused feelings

This book pushed my comfort zone to the max. I am a bit confused by my feelings. I liked the storyline and the mystery and drama. I liked the aspect of bdsm, that didn't confuse me. What did is how dark and degraded Lydia is made to suffer and feel, and how she can be ok with similar treatments but This time by someone she trusts! I just couldn't wrap my mind around how that was ok. How a victim of kidnapping, sexual, mental, emotional and physical abuse could just be ok with it. Yes she had a few therapy sessions but her healing and acceptance was just to fast. If your going to write about the most horrific experience a women can be subjected to, then her recovery had better be as in depth.
That is what is confusing I liked the concept of the story and somewhat execution of it but the topic of the story left me with confused emotions. This book will have your stomach in knots reading it!
Definite R rated, for both content and topic. HEA ( I guess) part of a conclusion but not completely. You still have some unanswered questions, epilogue.
Unsure if I'll dive right into the next book to see if my questions get answered or read a light, sweet fluffy bunny book to get this dark book out of my mind!
582 reviews
February 27, 2018
Heavy, page turner

This book had me glued, I woke up at 2am just so I could read the book, was working out and the book on the elliptical with me. Smith was kind and you can tell he was harsh around the edges, Lydia was a slave for a cruel man for over two years, her parents wasn’t even sure where she was. I can officially say this book had me glued, the author writing was amazing, the book really flowed and that is an art. Found a new author

***** warning this book is dark, it can bring trigger things from your past*****
Profile Image for Heather .
450 reviews138 followers
December 21, 2013
This book starts out dark. And by dark, I mean VERY dark. (Woohoo!) Lydia has been reduced to being a slave and a junkie who can no longer do anything of her own free will.

She was abducted and held in the hands of a masochistic abuser.


He tormented her and eventually, he broke her.


So when she is found in a club by Special Agent Smith Jones, she has no idea who she is or what to do. She is a slave to her next fix.



Her vulnerability and her situation call to the Dominant in Smith. He knows that she will never survive on her own. Only he knows how to bring her back.



But when Smith takes Lydia under his wing, he is crossing all kinds of boundaries.



Smith knows that what he is doing is wrong and eventually, Lydia starts to remember. Her past can't stay buried forever and when it comes back, there are consequences.


Can Smith be the man Lydia needs? Can she let go of her past and be the woman she always wanted to be? Will they survive long enough to find out?



I liked this book a lot. It was interesting and appealed to my darker fantasy side. I loved how Smith took Lydia in and guided her. I thought the way the story was told was perfect. The dialogue was good, the build up was good. The sex was amazing.Smith was an amazingly hot alpha male with just the right amount of sensitivity.

My only issue, and it was a fairly significant one, was the way she responded to her trauma. She was significantly brutalized for a long time. She suffers repeated trauma and danger even after her rescue, and yet she is able to make life altering decisions with a clear head? (If you read it you will better understand my point here.) Maybe I am in the minority here, but it felt fast and that made it less real for me.

This is a book an it doesn't have to mimic real life, it's fiction. So the author can do whatever the heck she wants. 90% of it I loved, but the part I didn't was fairly significant for me. So I am knocking off 1 star. Overall it was a good read if you like the darker stuff, I would recommend it.

4 Dark and Dominant Stars

red_star_4_of_5-5405838cef8c4750ec26237ed6595e7c

***A copy of this book was kindly provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.***
Profile Image for Kirstie.
264 reviews20 followers
September 12, 2016
If you read any of the other books from the Impossible series and you have met Smith Vaughn...then you will have encountered an arrogant pig headed ass...who happens to be one top notch FBI agent.

Now in Knight we get know Smith a lot better and experience a whole new dimension to him...well several really!

A drug bust in the famous BDSM club Decadence, not only begins the cleanup of a dirty drug problem but also finds Smith coming to the rescue of a tattered, torn and broken sub.

The sub, who remains anonymous for the first several chapters, has been abducted, raped, tortured and drugged all for one sick asshole's pleasure. But the night of the drug bust she is rescued...but a long way from being saved. It is here that we start to get to know the deeper layers of tough guy FBI Agent Vaughn...

So we know he is a take no shit FBI agent, we know he has a taste for the BDSM lifestyle...but this story helps us to under why Smith is who he is today. I can tell you I totally fell in love with him once I got to know the real Smith and not just the facade he put on for work.

Yes there is BDSM woven through the story, it wouldn't be a Julia Sykes story if it didn't...but the the purpose and use of it in this story is totally different to the other Impossible stories. While I doubt I'll ever find myself entering the lifestyle, the BDSM made total sense in this story.

This is now my favourite of all Julia's stories...and I will probably change my mind when I read her next book...But right now in this moment I love Smith Vaughn and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Knight.
Profile Image for RedRedtheycallmeRed.
1,972 reviews49 followers
May 12, 2014
The first 40% of the book was the most interesting to me. Lydia (who doesn't yet know her real name, just refers to herself as whore/slave) is rescued from a club by the FBI. Once it's clear that she's an abduction victim who's strung out on heroin, agent Smith James (that name is ridiculous) takes it upon himself to help her heal. She's so messed up that she calls him Master, because being a slave is all that she knows and she's too damaged to think for herself at that point.

Agent James seemed like a stand up guy at first. He rebuffs any sexual advance Lydia makes to try and show her appreciation for his kindness. He allows her to call him Master, thinking once she is stronger he will get her to stop. He kept calling her "sweetheart" (fine) or "girl" (made me want to punch him). He gave her rules and structure, which seemed to help her get her bearings again.

Of course things soon turn sexual and this is where the story lost me. First of all, a few weeks is no where near enough time for her to get past the trauma of what happened to her and fall into a new Dom/sub relationship. Second, even though Lydia kept telling him she wanted a sexual relationship, he should have known better. It felt like a gross abuse of his authority. And how would he not be fired? Their relationship felt wrong and icky. I wanted to see Lydia become a strong woman by herself, not one who feels strong because some guy gave her a collar and now "owns" her.

So, the psychological/crime aspect of the book worked for me, the romance did not.




Profile Image for Kim R.
86 reviews
June 13, 2015
I have been enraptured by all the novels I've read in Julia Sykes' Impossible series thus far, but after reading a sample of Knight a few months back, this was the book I was CLAMORING to read. And it truly surpassed my every expectation. Knight struck such a visceral chord in me that it literally left me breathless. Absolutely brilliant in concept and execution--this dark, psychological erotica has a FBI Dom protector to die for, a tragically broken yet incredibly resilient heroine, sizzling passion, heart pounding plot twists and turns, and powerful, searing emotion! The connection between "Master" Smith James--who is torn between sworn duty and forbidden desire--and his needy, hauntingly beautiful Sub, is not only hot and sexy, but oh so exquisitely tender; the characters connect on a soul-deep level that goes way beyond carnal physical attraction. As always, Julia's narrative is so rich and vibrant, it immediately sweeps you into the dangerous world of these mesmerizing characters, and evokes a gamut of intense emotions. Pain. Passion. Fear. Heartbreak. Redemption. And, finally, sweet Salvation. Not your typical bdsm erotic romance by any means, KNIGHT is penned by a remarkably gifted writer who sets the bar very high.
Profile Image for Jane.
556 reviews24 followers
December 17, 2013
Knight (An Impossible Novel) by Julia Sykes

5 Stars

Knight is an extremely powerful and emotional story about a woman kidnapped by a dominant and broken into submission. Beaten tortured and forced to take heroin until she knows herself only as ‘Slave’, the girl is finally saved by FBI agent Smith James. Confused and scared she believes this to be a test, knowing nothing other than to follow orders the only way Smith can help the girl is to take on the role of her new master. With patience, care and love she finally begins to remember the woman she was before and start the difficult journey to begin living again.

Though horrifying in the beginning this was a really touching book, filled with hope and promise for things to work out, it tore at my heartstrings. Julia Sykes did an amazing job at communicating the emotions of these characters to me and I was totally invested in them, wishing things were better.

Julia’s books are not for everyone, they usually contain BDSM and scenes of violence, often touching on sexual abuse. They should only be read by adults not disturbed by this type of content.

Copy supplied for review


Profile Image for Janey.
478 reviews22 followers
December 8, 2013
Wow wee..., I've been waiting for this book as I really enjoyed the impossible series and the book previous to this, Saviour, I didn't think it could get any better, but blimey...,this is an unbelievable story of hope, courage, love and above all trust, Smith is just brilliant as the FBI agent/Dom who immediately takes over the care of "little one",(I loved that he called her that), after finding her during a raid. Their initial story is heartbreaking, sometimes hard to read, but it's not rushed, it's done with care and understanding, you feel everything the characters go through, I thought I knew where this story was going to go, I didn't have a clue!, there a few surprises which had me gasping Noooo!, but that's a good thing, this book had my heart filled with angst, warmth and hope, although the subject matter maybe isn't for everyone I would definitely suggest giving it a go, it gives you a very good understanding of BDSM and doesn't glamorise it as some other books do, this book is fundamentally a beautifully love story, so it works for me. Definite TBR.
Profile Image for EroticaAfterDark (Lilith).
2,780 reviews957 followers
Want to read
February 4, 2017

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My captor tormented me until I forgot my own name. Then my new Master came and saved me. He tries to make me see him as FBI agent Smith James, but I can only think of him as Master.
He is obsessed with putting the pieces of my shattered soul back together. He wants to heal me, but I'm scared. If I'm not a slave, he won't be my Master anymore. I might be a shadow of the woman I was, but without him I would cease to exist altogether.
I've found my salvation in his obsession, my freedom in his captivity. If I can make him love me, he'll never let me go.

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Profile Image for Linda.
2,042 reviews64 followers
August 5, 2016
As reviewed on Read Our Lips:

After being abducted, abused and stripped of her own self, Slave finds herself in a strange place, her Master missing and no one to help her. She´s lost, again.

Smith is on a raid at a BDSM club with his fellow FBI agents when they meet a submissive without her master. Hurting from more than withdrawal, they try to help.

A captivating story with a broken woman finding her way, and a Dom finding use of his experience. Suspense, angst and smut in a great combo where the focus isn´t on BDSM, more on the aftermath of a disaster.

4,5 Stars
Profile Image for 'Q' aka CoCo.
569 reviews61 followers
May 1, 2014
A little darker, just as delicious

Oh Master S, you delicious man. This is decidedly darker than the previous books in the series but not so much that it should put anybody off. Still plenty of sexy times and lots of action. Can't wait to hear more about this wicked Mentor but I do love the dark reads...
Profile Image for Kaitlynn.
12 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2015
Can I give this book a million stars? Please? Okay.

1 MILLION DELICIOUS DOMINANT STARS!

Smith is my dream come true. The most gorgeous unyielding Dominant ever.

Sexy FBI Agents aside, the story and writing were both phenomenal. Definitely one of my favourites of the year.

I will write a better review one this book-induced fever goes down a bit. ;)
Profile Image for Space Cowgirl.
4,133 reviews144 followers
February 28, 2018
He Is Master🐺🍆🌋👋

FBI agent, Smith James🐺🍆🌋👋, finds a broken, beaten, skeleton of a woman near death💀 at a BDSM👋 club he and fellow agents raid for selling and distributing drugs. 💉
Smith🐺🍆🌋👋 is absolutely stunned that the woman is in such bad shape. She has been so completely brainwashed, tortured, and conditioned, she doesn't even know her name. She can't even speak! She has also been addicted to 💉drugs by her torturer.

Smith🐺🍆🌋👋 is a dominant, and he is horrified at how the woman has been treated. She cannot even think at first. After detox, she is still a mental mess, still doesn't know who she is, how long she has been in captivity, and even though she saw her torturing "Master " all the time, she can't identify him and never knew his name. She is deathly afraid all the time.
This is a violent, sad , and sickening book at the beginning. Smith🐺🍆🌋👋 is her lifeline, because she is drowning, and there is no one else to save her. He spends days with her in the hospital, just being there and holding her hand. She decides he is her new master.
Smith💀🍆🌋👋 has to order her to do everything, even eat and drink. She has lost her identity, it was taken away. She does nothing without permission from her master.

Her torturer was not arrested in the raid on the BDSM club. He is still out there, and he wants his slave back.....He will do anything to get her. Anything.

Smith🐺🍆🌋👋 wants her now.......she belongs to him. He is her Master now....
People will die.💀

This book will make you cry. Parts of it are so profound, so touching, and so utterly 😢sad. The book drew me into her 🌎world and made me think, made me feel. How could a man be so cruel to another human being? How can a human being be so twisted up inside that they would destroy another person's life for their own perverted wants?
Don't be 😨scared! There is a happy ending!
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