The Emperor

Dark Verse #3

by RuNyx

The highly anticipated third book of the Dark Verse series.

What happens when a legacy of ruin mates with a realm of blood?

Heir to the notorious Tenebrae Outfit, Dante Maroni has been trained since birth. A silent rebel in the shadows, he has learned to hide his ruthlessness under his charm, his brutality under his suits, and his love for one woman under his silence. Infiltrating the Syndicate responsible for the missing children, Dante discovers information that shatters his reality and forces him to trigger a lethal game.

Daughter of the Maroni housekeeper, Amara has loved Dante for longer than she's known it. Abducted and tortured at the young age of fifteen, she loses herself, her life, and her home as she knows it. Years after, unknowingly protected, she's found some semblance of normalcy when her world collapses again, forcing her to join the game.

Mysteries are unraveled. Secrets are discovered. And their young love is transformed, replaced by a deep intimacy, power, and survival.

The reluctant king and inevitable queen play.

An empire of death is born.

---

This book contains graphic violence and sexual content recommended for 18 years and above. This is a dark, contemporary mafia romance.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Mafia Romance, Dark, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, Forbidden Romance

443 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2021

About the author

RuNyx is a New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of romance. Her stories range across subgenres from dark contemporary to gothic to historical to fantasy and more, and are currently being translated into over 10 languages.

Her pen name has a very special meaning to her. When she's not writing, she's reading, traveling, meditating, daydreaming, and most of all, procrastinating.

Join her newsletter tribe for all updates and stalk her on her social media.

Website ➡️ https://runyxwrites.com
Newsletter ➡️ https://runyx.myflodesk.com/newsletter
Instagram ➡️ instagram.com/authorrunyx
Reader Group ➡️ facebook.com/groups/runyx

Reviews

[Ayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾/5⭐️ this felt like the 3rd season, with 24 episodes, of the best tv show on the planet. just when i thought this series couldn’t get any better, it fucking did. this is my top in the series so far. i fucking flew through this book like it was my last day on earth. my eye sockets burned and melted reading this so fucking fast. i’m not even fucking joking like i can barely see myself write out this review so excuse the typos if there are any. this is hands down one of the top, if not the top book i’ve read this year. yeah it’s that good.

you don’t know what forbidden love is and how absolutely heart wrenching and devastating and beautiful it is until you’ve read this book. Dante and Amara’s love for one another isn’t just the fiercest thing i’ve read but most ferocious.

i went from reading scenes that had me swooning to crying on the floor ready to throw this book all the way to the moon only for me to catch it back and continue reading. Dante and Amara’s souls are cosmically intertwined and destined to be together in any lifetime.

Dante…omg i want this man to serenade me..bro that dirty talk?!? i didn’t know words could be stitched together like that. he’d say the most filthiest things and my back arched like a cat’s. the vile and wicked things i’d do to get this man in my blood stream…if he was real, he’d have a restraining order against me.

Amara was such a refreshing pov to read from. she’s literally so relatable and reads romance too?!! like @ me already. her bravery and courage was admirable to read about. i legit was balling my eyes out, snot dripping down my nose, crying and trembling over the shit she went through and the way she still ended up the baddest bitch in the bunch.

i literally don’t know how tf can i ever read another book ever again after reading this masterpiece?!

[Clace · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

"Kissing him was heaven. Kissing him was sin. It was everything in between, and she was addicted."

TristanMorana walked so DanteAmara could run (jk no one could beat TristanMorana. I am going to start this review with the characters because I adore them so much. Dante was the standard for every man out there. He will make you swoon, blush, giggle, cry and laugh. He's the whole package but what I loved was the lengths he went to be with Amara. How much he cared for her and how much he was willing to risk for her. They are literally soulmates and you can't tell me otherwise. I just loved how well they went together and how easy it was to read through Dante's pov like it was so fun because the way he thinks and things he does were just *chefs kiss* honestly man, he made this book so much more enjoyable. His relationship with Tristan over the years was the highlight and the siblings bond that Morana and Dante shared was so cute.

"Amara, you're the beat to my fucking heart."

Amara, god why was she so hot. Like thank god this wasn't a movie because I know damn well that I would've just stared at her and would've done nothing else, she's easily one of the most beautiful fmcs that I have ever read about. Amara was kind and pure and loyal and graceful and elegant and her story broke my heart but it also was so empowering because she survived such horrors that no one should've gone through at her age 😔 how she dealt with the loss and carried on was something I really enjoyed reading and it made me admire RuNyx for highlighting that out. I also liked the development that we saw through the pages and her relationship with Vin and Tristan was so cute! The part where Tristan kisses her and asks her to be safe was so cutee. I love these two. Although I wanted more MoranaAmara scenes

"We're not a love story, were a tragedy in the making. There's no happy ending for us."

The romance, I loved how this one was so different. How it progressed into something and blossomed eventually with time. They are soulmates, even when divided thought and longed for each other and found their way back together. Amaras love for Dante can be seen through every chapter the way she looks at him. How she admires him and thinks about little things that might affect him and dante absolutely killed it with the way he took care of Amara when she went through the torture. He looked after her and listened. What mattered the most was they were there for each other. Other than that oh boy this was smutty and the good kinda smutty. Dante and his dirty mouth will quite literally be the death of me. I was fanning my self. It was simply amazing

"You're in my blood, beating in my fucking heart. The only way you go is when the heart stops."

I loved how the plot was balanced with the romance in this one as well. There was enough of both to satisfy you. Action sequences along with thrilling scenes and plot twists that surely I wasn't expecting at all. The development of the story and the path it's progressing in was really smooth and the execution was a 10/10 but I would say this one personally was a very character driven story and contributed not that significantly as the other books do to the but somehow it reached their level of amazingness

"I would for you for an eternity, Dante maroni"

The tropes:
.Childhood Lovers
.Soulmates
.Forbidden Romance
.Second chance
.Age gap
.She falls first
.He falls harder
.Friends to lovers

“You’re not going to walk through life, Amara,” he uttered roughly, each word a vow that cemented itself in her heart. “You’ll dance through it. And I’ll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. I promise you.”

RuNyxs range of writing can be seen here. The way she took this book in the same series with the same plot going but from different characters perspectives and made it like it was their own story amazed me because it was so different from the first book the characters and their romance as well. How she handled it and executed it all perfectly was the one thing that she will be praised for by me. She mad me fall in love with Dante and Amara but honestly though she should actually be praised for this book, usually in dark romances you see the same plot being recycled and so much repetitive content (plot and romance wise) and I think no book suffered that in this series.

"You're the queen in the board, Amara. You're my most powerful piece, but my most vulnerable. They get you, they get me, and the game is over. So I'll do whatever I need to make sure they never get you. Even if that means hiding you like my dirty secret for the time being."

The side characters, Tristan and Morana god it feels weird to say that cuz they had two books as the main characters. Both were there for the majority part of the book had cute good scenes. Like really enjoyable scenes but didn't feel like the main focus which imo was how it should've been. Lulu our precious cat who has been scarred and traumatized by listening to Dante dirty talk with her mother. Such a cutie fluffball and finally our new character and also the main character of the next book Alessandro 'alpha' Villonova his character was very intriguing and the revelations were 🤯 I definitely want to know more about him.

Some quotes:
“You’re my magnum opus, Amara,” he told her, pressing his forehead against hers, a move that always brought the turmoil in him to a standstill. “And I am your humble servant.”
“No,” she whispered, her words falling against his lips. “You are my emperor.”
.
“We may not be husband and wife to the world but I have been married to you in my heart for eight years.”
.
“Give me your dreams and your nightmares, your pleasure and your pain, your fantasies and your fears. Give me everything. Be my queen outside, and my filthy girl inside,” he hammered his hips into hers, his words coming out rough, gritty, raw. “And make me fucking yours, so everyone who looks at my ring knows I have you finally. Say yes, Amara.”
.
“He and I, we are doomed to bleed from a wound that will never heal.”
.
“He didn’t think she knew how much he loved her voice. In his world of gunshots and screams, her voice was a gentle prayer, evidence that there was life after the endless noise.”

Reread#2

~~~
Ok the reaper is still my favourite (Tristanmorana>>>) but this is a close second even this time 🤭
~~
If I die the reason for my death would be Dante and Amara and everytime he asked her to ask him to kiss her and she did ❤️‍🔥😭

So this is my reason for rereading it 😋 Reread #3.

•Buddy reading with Aaron 🤭

[siff ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

╰┈➤ #3 read - december 2023 ➵ ♾️♾️ stars

“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙖. 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙩. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞’𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙧𝙝𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙢. 𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

i’ve come to the conclusion that this is my favorite book in the whole world. whenever i read this book it feels like i can finally breathe again. this book is my air, and it’s my favorite fucking kind of oxygen. i go somewhere completely else when i’m reading this book, and it’s literally my kind of magic. i can’t even begin to explain my love for this book, or dante and amara with words. they have a special place in my heart, if not my whole ass heart. they’re story and journey it’s both heartbreaking and beautiful, and it makes me feel. i will forever be thankful for this book, because the things this book has done to me when i felt like absolute shit is incredible, this book will always pick me up, even if i’m at my lowest. i cannot wait for more people to hopefully fall in love with dante and amara like i did. ngl i was kinda scared to read this book again, because what if i didn’t love it as much as the first and second time. but that wasn’t the case, i actually love it more each time i read it, and i already can’t wait to read this book again. as i said in my review on the first book in this series “the predator” this series is a comfort series to me. but especially this book, because reading about dante and amara felt like coming home. and i can’t explain why i feel as i feel with these two, but i can try.

this book takes us back in time. where we see and get to know little amara and little dante, and we get to know their story right from their first interaction. this book is split up in three parts, and what those three parts are about you’ll have to find out yourself. normally i’d hate that, but it’s written in a way where i actually don’t mind. because it’s not really a time jump from chapter to chapter. we start right from scratch, and then slowly move on from that, along with dante and amara themselves.

side note; as i said in my previous review, please do yourself a favour and go into this series as blind as you can. don’t search it up on social media, because there can be some spoilers ! the first time i read this series, i went in blind, and it was amazing ! because the plots are gonna be plotting. which is why i’m not gonna do a summary, just read the back of the book <3

characters:
amara rossi
my precious bbygirl. amara is such a woman, and she’s the love of my fucking life ! my connection to amara gets stronger each time i reread, she’s such an amazing and strong character. i can see so much of myself in her character, and some parts of her journey. she is one of my favorite fmc’s. amara went through a lot, from a very young age, but exactly what, you’ll have to find out yourself. her character development is so admirable, and i absolutely adore her. amara became the person she needed the most, and that is one of my favorite things in the whole world. atp i don’t know if i want to be her, or want to be with her. her character has a special effect on me, because i can just see her bloom through the pages, and it’s just one of the most beautiful things ever. i just wanna run into her arms and hug the shit out of her, because she’s such a safe place for me.

“𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚.”

dante maroni
my man, my man, my man. i’m so in love with dante. now don’t get me wrong, he has some flaws, but he always makes up for them. he is a mobster, but he’s actually a “golden retriever” with a dirty mouth, for his woman. dante’s character is well mannered, doesn’t curse around ladies, as emotionally healthy as mobster can be, acts like an adult, can communicate, can admit to his own mistakes, doesn’t shy away from his feelings, etc. this man is actually perfect. when dante was little, he actually wanted to be a sculptor, and i don’t know why i find that so attractive, but oh well here we are. and as if he wasn’t perfect enough already he also wears reading glasses, as i said; this man is perfect. i think i could talk about dante for hours, and not even stutter. it’s safe to say, that i fell completely in love with his character all over again. and i truly don’t blame little amara for crushing on him, because i’d probably faint if he so much as looked at me. there’s also just something comforting about dante’s character for me, that i can’t explain. the way dante protects the people he loves is the most precious thing ever, he truly deserves the world and more.

“𝙂𝙤𝙙, 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙩. 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙝����𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚.”

⎯ when dante calls amara; “my lady”, “my queen” etc. i always fall just a little harder for him, believe it to not, it’s possible, when you begin to understand the reason why. no matter how many times i read this book i’ll always start to bawl my eyes out reading the scene where dante explains what his back tattoo is, because it’s matched to amara’s scares so it looks like a dragon that’s spewing fire when they stand beside each other. there is just something about this book, that there isn’t in the other books in this series, it just touches my heart. dante and amara was always there for each other, even when they couldn’t physically. dante helped amara through her trauma, in the most beautiful ways. and amara could read dante just by looking into his eyes. these characters are written so perfectly to me, and i completely connect with them, what they feel i feel. these two have the cutest, but also must heartbreaking story. they’ve known each other since they were little, there’s so much more to it than that tho, but read the book ! and they’ve been through so much together, and would honestly do everything and anything for each other. dante and amara literally complements each other so fucking well, like they’re actually perfect for each other. i can’t really go into depth about them, because then i’d have to spoil somethings a little, and i don’t want to do that. dante and amara is my favorite couple of the year along with evajacks. i’ll honestly never get enough of them, and i will be rereading this sometime again soon. dante and amara just makes me believe in love. i hear them in every love song, beautiful or heartbreaking. my heart and soul truly belongs to danteamara.

how i look when i suddenly in my everyday life remember when amara woke up with dante between her legs:


in my opinion an infinity star rating is the only right thing for this book. i love this book and danteamara more than i love life bad comparison since i actually hate life, but you know what i mean. their story just deserves an infinity star rating, no discussions or questions about that. and i’ve actually seen a few mixed reviews on this book, and i’ll shamelessly say, that i don’t agree. everyone has their own opinions tho but like you're wrong.

・❥・ i’d also just like to write a little love letter to runyx for giving me danteamara. the way she has written this book is just so incredible and admirable, the story, journey, characters touch my heart in way i didn’t think was possible. this book is literally my favorite place to be in the entire universe. when i’m holding it in my hands i feel like i’m holding my whole heart in my bare hands. so thank you runyx for giving me this book ! like tristan said; “you need to find something or someone to live for” this book is my something, and danteamara is my someone. when that’s said i will be sending runyx some therapy bills, because i’ve got books to buy so i can’t just use all my money on therapy.

favorite moments and quotes:
“Don’t ever lose your heart, my baby.”

“But in that moment she was just a girl and he was just a boy, and somehow, their broken pieces matched.”

“A small smile while her eyes were in a nightmare.”

“She became his person. She became his.”

“Dante had become something like the sun. She waited every day to feel his warmth, if only just for a few minutes before the clouds returned. But as long as she had the sun, the clouds were bearable.”

“Her torture had been written on her skin and stained on her mind.”

“I will kiss you and brand myself upon your heart, Amara. Just make sure you’re ready for me to.”

“You’re the beat to my heart, Amara.”

“He always had a bit of my heart, but I’m not that girl anymore. My heart isn’t the same anymore. This new heart, it doesn’t just love him, Ma. It beats for him.”

“Ask me to kiss you.”
“Kiss me.”

“What if I get hurt?”
“Then, I’ll kiss your scares.”

“He didn’t know when he fell in love with Amara. He just did.”

“He didn’t think she knew how much he loved her voice. In his world of gunshots and screams, her voice was a gentle prayer, evidence that there was life after the endless noice.”

“You’re in my blood, beating in my fucking heart. The only way you go is when the heart stops.”

“You and I, Amara we will never be anyone else’s.”

“Lie back.”
“As you wish, my lady.”
“Did you just quote The Princess Bride while I’m trying to seduce you?”
“You never have to try, Amara.”

“You’re the queen on the board, Amara. You’re my most powerful piece, but my most vulnerable. They get you, they get me, and the game is over.”

“Home. He felt like home.”

”There was no other Dante for her, and she knew there was no other Amara for him.”

“Amara, baby, look at me. Give me your beautiful eyes.”

“Fuck I want to kiss you right now.”
“Get yourself out of the chair first, badass.”

“We may not be husband and wife to the world but I have been married to you in my heart for eight years.”

“You should’ve known not to run from me, crazy girl. I would chase you to the ends of this earth.”

“You’re the beat to my heart, Dante.”
“And you’re mine.”

”He had memorized her like his favorite song.”

“You’re my magnum opus, Amara. And I am your humble servant.”
“No. You are my emperor.”

song; say you won't let go by james arthur
♫ “And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old”
“Just say you won't let go” ♫
⤷ dante and amara 🫀

spotify playlist; the emperor: dante and amara
(the link only works on laptop tho)

tropes; mafia romance, age gap, childhood crush to lovers, forbidden romance, she fell first he fell harder, touch her and you die

╰┈➤ #2 read - november 2023 ➵ ♾️ stars
╰┈➤ #1 read - may 2023 ➵ 5 stars

[Marianna Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going into this book the bar was SO HIGH for me because the first two books were five stars and I went absolutely FERAL for Tristan and Morana! And Dante and Amara did not disappoint but I will say nobody will ever compare to Tristan and Morana for me. This book equal parts broke and healed me.

Im not usually a friends to lovers fan but god this pulled at my heart strings!!! And Dante…. Bye. No I’m actually SWEATING THE MOUTH ON HIM?!!

I loved Amara as an FMC, her story absolutely RIPPED my heart out, but her strength really shined through and I loved how she never gave up on herself or Dante. And Dante is the sweetest of sweethearts, he truly treats Amara like she’s his whole world.

The overarching plot is so good!! I’m so invested and cannot WAIT to see what happens in the next book!!! And then of course the Tristan and Morana crumbs, I’m so obsessed with them it’s not even funny. Tristan and Xander?!!! I can’t, sobbing.

[EmBibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read #2 (9/9/2024) 5 Stars.

I love those characters and this series so much.

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

I don’t know where to start. I apologise for the freakin long review in advance, I just had things I needed to say! I just love how this series isn’t “stereotypical” its different in its storyline and the way it deals with certain situations. it’s also pretty clear that the author’s writing really improved here. This one was darker than the previous two, but still so emotional and so raw? Dante and Amara’s relationship was just so sweet? So strong? So real? Those two were just so perfect together.

“You’re the beat to my heart, Amara,”

I love Tristan. I really do, that man doesn’t talk much, but he knows how to make you love him. Now, I was surprised by how much I freakin loved Dante here. I mean I liked him before. But here? He just owned my heart without even trying. Let’s talk a little about how protective considerate loving and caring Dante is....

~ He is a mafia heir who listens to audiobooks in the early mornings while he sculptures.

~ He found a lost damaged boy and did every annoying thing he could do to befriend him. I loved him and Tristan’s bromance so much.

~ He gave her heels??? Amara suffered a traumatic event that made her unable to walk, so he used to carry her out everyday. And when she has healed, her balance was off so she couldn’t wear heels. He brought her heels and hold her hand and made her dance. (No not me getting emotional again)

“You’re not going to walk through life, Amara,” he uttered roughly, each word a vow that cemented itself in her heart. “You’ll dance through it. And I’ll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. I promise you.”

~ He was so freakin understanding and caring and considerate. He didn’t rush her or push her. He moved with her pace.

“It works with you stopping me when you need to, and me stopping. Or you telling me to keep going, and me going on. Simple as that.”
“And if I keep stopping you?” she voiced the one fear she had.
“Then I stop. No questions.”

~ He kept fighting for her. For them. For a future he wasn’t sure of. But he still believed in them. And she believed in him. So they just kept their intense forbidden love hidden even if it was hard for both of them, but they still fought for each other.

“One day, I’m going to put my ring on that finger, Amara,” he grit out, pushing up another inch into her. “One day, I’m going to put my babies inside you. Just wait for me, baby. Please wait for me.”

~ After her exile, he got her a cat and left it in front of her house so she doesn’t feel lonely. She didn’t even know that the cat that kept her company and made her feel less alone was from him.

~ This...

“We both fucked up, Amara,” he told her, his eyes blazing. “And we’re both going to own up to it. And we’re both going to talk about this and forgive and move on. I’m not giving you a choice here. I didn’t work my ass off all these years for something trivial as lack of communication to break us.”

A man who can freakin communicate?? I never thought I would see someone who use communication to fix things. I thought those are rare species.

“In sickness in health, in life in death, in murder in mayhem, isn’t that how it goes?”

I also really loved Amara. She’s a freakin hero. I loved her sweet side. Her broken side. Her strong fighting side. She was so amazing. A true queen. I loved these two together so much. And I loved seeing the old characters here as well. And no you can’t make me chose between Tristan and Dante, I’ve decided that I want them both to be mine! Somehow, this series has become so special to me and uhhh I can’t wait for the next book!!

#1 The predator ~ 4.5 stars
#2 The Reaper ~ 5 stars
#3 The Emperor ~ 5 stars

Song recommendation:
Exile by Taylor swift ft. Bon Iver
Power by Isak Danielson
Love and war by Fleurie
Skulls by Bastille

[kendyl ʚ♡⃛ɞ (hiatus)]

𝓅𝓇𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
this book completely broke me and put me back together again. amara and dante own me. think i spammed siff with over 1000 text messages at a time updating her every second LMAO ily. review to come after i finish/post my review for the reaper🤭

❥09/07/24
dante and amara…please don’t break me😔siff baby this read is for you🤭my girl loves this book so just know i will too🙂‍↕️

[SK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect. Absolutely perfect 🥹🥹❤️‍🔥 Dante and Amara have my whole heart. If Tristan and Morana's journey was a five star read, Dante and Amara's is six stars.

I loved everything about this book. The sheer beauty of coping with the trauma inflicted on Amara, Damien and unfortunately Nerea was a ride. While we see two of them deal with it in a healthy manner, one of them goes down in a way I didn't see coming and although I felt hurt and emotional, it was surely a journey to read.

I went in with the thoughts of falling in love with Dante, and which I did. But it's Amara who took me by surprise and it's her who is the real hero of this book. I adored her and her heart. I loved the way she never gave up on herself or the way the world was. She fought back like a true warrior queen. Dante was obviously swoon worthy. The man can talk dirty 🥵 I loved how devoted he was to Amara. I loved how her love slowly grew on him in their teen years. Their journey from childhood to adults was worth reading. They never truly gave up on each other. Their struggle to get together was a tough one yet so satisfying at the end.

The plot twists were chef's kiss 🤌 I can't wait to see how the Dark verse unfolds in the next few books. I got my hopes high.

One thing that kinda irked me was we see Vin and Amara be the best of friends in the childhood and adolescent years but once Amara came back, I longed for their interactions. They didn't really talk? That bothered me a bit. But anyway... I would love to see more of Vin, and am guessing I will.

I loved Lulu. As someone who has pets of her own, I understand their value in times of darkness... I adored Dante as a cat dad too. Interesting to see how things developed with Xander and "Tempest" Yeah I ain't calling her that 😂

The ending was short and sweet with the bonus epilogue leaving me wanting for more 😩😩

~•~•~
Dante baby, am here for you finally 😍
Also, why is my paperback 93 pages shorter than the ones on GR? 😅

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yup, I’m obsessed. Addicted. Another 5 stars like who am I? Just when I thought I couldn’t love two characters more, Dante and Amara surprised me.

"You're my magnum opus, Amara," he told her, pressing his forehead against hers, a move that always brought the turmoil in him to a standstill. "And I am your humble servant." “No," she whispered, her words falling against his lips. "You are my emperor.”

these two also enraptured me. I felt the longing, angst, passion, the devotion between them and the tangible emotions throughout—the kind that makes your chest ache a bit. I liked seeing how they became each others person, their shared moments, the soulmate energy they possess, past POV’s from their adolescence as it felt essential to the build up of present events. do I think their relationship isn’t without its flaws? Yes, because some things weren’t perfect but it made it more realistic. Which is why I'll say, I get how the right opportunity needed to come along as they couldn’t run the risk, but i wish it didn’t take so long as the convoluted agony that was the wait in remaining secret was real. Theres nothing easy about making choices and sacrifices but they both made them

"You’re in my blood, beating in my fucking heart. The only way you go is when the heart stops.”

I see the appeal with Dante because same with his allure and having such a filthy mouth (just know the man could please and EAT 🤭 it had me blushing ngl), his loyalty and protectiveness never faltering, the way he saw Amaras strength and was respectful/mindful of her trauma even unknowingly with how patient he was with her (I’m a firm believer of women not owing men shit but saw his reaction of something stemming from a place of hurt for her than anger at her), his romantic acts of love, his affection, and the touch her and you die energy him and Tristan share was all there—but it was Amara that I was more in awe of

"Amara wasn't sunlight or clear skies; she was the sun hiding behind dark clouds, muted but powerful enough to still light the world.”

Amara was such a light to read about. I love her. her story was sad yet empowering to read. I absolutely admired her resilience and her strength given what she's endured, even when she had her moments where she struggled to feel she could be anything but 🥺 I definitely found myself connecting to her. How in control she was was also notable. I think RuNyx does well in showing us how strength and trauma looks differently yet equally emotive for everyone so far. what I loved most was her kindness and not letting everything harden her, but also when she used her voice as there was a time where she felt weak because of it, and how she forged ahead—that she didn’t wait on Dante to continue the course of her life and her dreams (i supported when she left as he deserved to suffer a lil.) And I’m happy she had lulu, because what lulu was to her is what my cats are to me 🥹

I loved seeing the progression of amara and morana’s friendship from Amara’s pov as it was new for them. I liked the scenes of normalcy they and Dante and Tristan shared given the nature of their world and the darkness surrounding it. Simply put, i need more of them all. I feel more strongly about Tristan and Morana, considering we got more time with them and would’ve liked more scenes here with Dante and Amara, but did love what we got of them

As for the plot, few things began to make sense from the reaper and the last 30% was plotting with all the intense revelations and twists. I was hooked. Sadly, I saw a spoiler for the annihilator on here, so the shock factor won’t be there 😭 *a reminder to include spoiler warnings in your updates.* However, I do have a theory on something since everyone is connected somehow

other things that stood out:

*the clay scene? Hot. It almost reminded me of ACOMAF’s paint scene
*the significance of his tattoo?? 🥹
*their 4 year age gap? There was no predatory behavior but I can see how it would make others feel some way

the reaper review

some quotes

“Ask me to kiss you, Amara” 🦋 I swooned each time this was said

“Think you'll love me after?" She gripped his wrists, nodding. "In sickness in health, in life in death, in murder in mayhem, isn't that how it goes?"

“Amara felt her eyes flutter close, her heart racing. “What if I get hurt?” she whispered into his jacket. He pulled back so she could see him, his eyes solemn, soft, sincere on hers. His face dipped closer and he pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “Then, I’ll kiss your scars.” And just like that, the little of her heart she’d been holding onto was his.” him kissing her scars >>

"You're not going to walk through life, Amara," he uttered roughly, each word a vow that cemented itself in her heart. "You'll dance through it. And I'll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. I promise you." I would always see this and adore this scene so much now

“That voice of smoke and chocolate and twisted sheets.” Where Tristan was whiskey and sin, this was Dante 😂

“Dante Maroni as a boy had been her unrequited; Dante Maroni as a man was her undoing.”

“Where Tristan's obsession was a visible thunderstorm, Dante's was more like the wind-ever-present and life-sustaining but in-visible. It could go from a comforting breeze that gave relief to the relentless wind that fanned the flames. his obsession was born of an emotion he had not thought himself capable of."

[shei · Rating 4 out of 5]

—— 4.5 ✰ stars.

‘So will you play with me, my queen?’ ‘Yes, I will, my king.’

・❥・ Mood of the book:
: ̗̀➛ Prisoner by Rapahel Lake
: ̗̀➛ Far From Home by Sam Tinnesz
: ̗̀➛ A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope
: ̗̀➛ My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark by Fall Out Boy

I devoured this book lol. I ate it up and left no crumbs bitch. I am writing this without any kind of coercion from Siff (help please), who is going to murder me as soon as she sees the 4✰ stars, but no pain no gain.

'You are the beat to my heart, Amara'

Once again I have to say that I am not a dark romance girly, and that this series is my first dark romance so my opinion may differ from a regular reader of the genre.

What I like about this series, which is what usually keeps me away from dark romance, is that the author does not romanticize SA, the main male characters, although they have gray morality, are not toxic in the sense of treating their partner badly. Runyx did that. AND THE PLOT. Plot be plotting for real, I have 10 bald spots on my head of how much hair pulling I did. ALSO THANK YOU SIFF FOR BEARING WITH ME IN THE PROCESS.

Now, why isn't this book a 5✰ star? We will have to talk about the plot first, since this book is the third, I can't say much without spoilers, so it will be very vague.

'You're in my blood, beating in my fucking heart. The only way you go is when the heart stops.’

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ 𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

This time we follow Dante and Amara, characters we already know from the first two books. The first 50% of the book tells us their past, from when they were children and adolescents to the final event of the second book. The other half continues the story.

Well, if it were just for the first part, the book would be hands down 5✰ stars, it had me hooked the entire time, despite already knowing parts of the story from the first books, it's just incredible and I was kicking my feet in the air and smiling like an idiot

'She was just a girl and he was just a boy, and somehow their broken pieces matched'

The second part was also incredible, but their romance didn't make me feel the same as in the first part, I cared much more about the plot and continuing to unmask all the secrets, which, by the way, left me with my ass and jaw on the floor.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ𝕯𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕬𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖆ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

'You're not going to walk through life, Amara, you'll dance through it. And I'll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. I promise you.’

I LOVE MY BABIES WITH ALL MY HEART, I WILL DIE PUNCHING EVERYONE WHO HURTS THEM. Ok, after this attack of love aggression, let's continue.

No, but seriously, I loved both characters, they are both strong in their own way and the way they love each other is simply to die for. Runyx ate with Dante Maroni, and that's it. The way he loves, respects and cherishes Amara is beautiful, where can I find a man like that? NOWHERE.

'What if I get hurt?' 'Then I will kiss your scars'

Amara is the definition of a survivor, in every sense of the word, she is a strong woman, who despite the traumatic experiences she has had to go through, continues to see the light in people and in life, she deserves a hug.

'Despite being through everything she'd been through, walking through hell and fighting the demons in her mind, she still had a love for life that unmanned him. The most generous of hearts, the most steely of spines.’

This is going to be the moment when Siff will take a shovel to start digging my grave, but I wasn't very convinced by the smut in this book, I think it was a thousand times sexier in the previous books, I even skipped one or two scenes at the end. (GASP. I KNOW, GIRL I KNOW).

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ𝕿𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕸𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖆ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

I loved them so much in this book, Tristan remembered that the vocal cords have a use and decided to use them, hooray for him. No, but seriously now, I loved reading about them through the eyes of Amara and Dante, and their story is going very well. Morana's brain is still the sexiest thing in the world and Tristan's acts of service are something to cry about and makes me want to hold him forever.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ𝕯𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖊𝖓 𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖎ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

I don't have much to say about him except that he deserves protection and love, and that I love the representation of Asperger's in the book.

"Damien, this is Amara."
"Green Eye Girl," Damien said in an almost toneless voice.
Dante chuckled, turning to the side, casually leaning against the marble pillar. "Yeah, Green Eye Girl."
"Hello, Green Eye Girl," Damien said in that same toneless voice, moving a piece. "Are her eyes really the color of forests?"
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Dante dared him and looked at the board.
Damien glanced up at her, his dark eyes fleetingly coming to hers for two seconds, before he looked back at the board again, tapping his foot on the ground in sets of three.
Dante looked at him in surprise, before glancing at her. "He looked you in the eye."

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ𝕾𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖖𝖚𝖔𝖙𝖊𝖘 𝖎 𝖊𝖓𝖏𝖔𝖞𝖊𝖉ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

‘Being a good person and doing good things weren’t always the same. Her hero could be the villain in someone else's story.’

‘He always had a bit of my heart, but I'm not that girl anymore. My heart isn't the same anymore. This new heart, it doesn't just love him, Ma. It beats for him.’

‘He didn't think she knew how much he loved her voice. In his world of gunshots and screams, her voice was a gentle prayer, evidence that there was life after the endless noise.’

‘You remember what I told you about chess pieces? That I didn't know what piece you were?’
‘Yes.’
He turned his neck to put his eyes on hers. ‘You're the queen on the board, Amara. You're my most powerful piece, but my most vulnerable. They get you, they get me, and the game is over.’

‘You're mine, Amara. Mine to cherish, mine to protect, mine to love. We may not be husband and wife to the world but I have been married to you in my heart for eight years. And no matter what comes at us, we will get through it together. We build our empire together. No more running. Promise me.’

‘Give me your dreams and your nightmares, your pleasure and your pain, your fantasies and your fears. Give me everything. And make me fucking yours, so everyone who looks at my ring knows I have you finally. Say yes, Amara.’

I really want to continue with the series, The Finisher is calling me from the shelf, but I know that if I get too involved in a series, I get slumped so bad, so it will have to wait a little, but soon, scout's word (I'm not a scout)

Dark verse series:
╰┈➤ The Predator , 4. ✰ stars.
╰┈➤ The Reaper, 4.5 ✰ stars.
╰┈➤ The Finisher , 4. ✰ stars.
╰┈➤The Annihilator , 3.✰ stars.


￫ Old updates:
jan 14: Im balder than vin diesel rn. I don’t know how to rate this book 😭😭. rtc

jan 13: if you saw me starting another book, no you didn’t. I just feel a dark romance will be easier to read during exams 🫡. AND DANTE MARONI BABY IM HERE FOR YOU 🥹🥹

[Ri ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾ stars

“You’re not going to walk through life, Amara, You’ll dance through it. And I’ll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. I promise you.”

The Emperor is RuNyx’s magnum opus. Amara and Dante’s love is so pure and beautiful, and I am amazed by RuNyx’s ability to create such a mesmerisingly beautiful, incredible, and heartwarming story. The way RuNyx has plotted everything—how she slowly unravels mysteries bit by bit in each book while also keeping us in the dark and on the edge of our seats—is truly a mastermind’s work. RuNyx’s poetic narrative is exquisitely captivating in this book. Her elegant analogies and metaphors breathe life into Dante and Amara’s story, capturing the soulful, aching beauty of their love with a rare grace.

The Emperor tells the forbidden story of Dante and Amara’s love. It focuses on various facets of their lives—from their childhood to their teenage years, to young adulthood, and finally, to the timeline where they are able to shine their love in the light of day. This book is darker and more intense compared to the others. I felt every emotion vividly—from the initial heartbreak and longing of their forbidden love to the deep ache and pain I felt on Amara’s behalf, and the love and joy of witnessing them fall for each other. Their story was as gut-wrenching as it was beautiful. Their journey wasn’t just about love—it was a testament to healing, redemption, and the kind of bond that transforms two souls forever.

“You’re in my blood, beating in my fucking heart. The only way you go is when the heart stops.”

Amara Rossi is the embodiment of a warrior queen. She proved that softness, kindness, and fierce strength can coexist in a woman. She has the purest and most beautiful soul. Amara is my precious girl, and this woman went through hell yet still didn’t lose her true heart, her kindness, or the love she has for the people in her life. She bears the scars of the battles she fought alone, yet she still chooses to emanate light and hope in her world. She never gave up on herself and fought the demons in her mind. I admire Amara’s will to live and survive through hell, and witnessing her resilience in facing her trauma filled me with so much pride. I love how caring and compassionate she is toward the people she loves, especially how deeply she cares for Tristan and Morana. She is a queen, truly.

“He always had a bit of my heart, but I’m not that girl anymore. My heart isn’t the same anymore. This new heart, it doesn’t just love him, Ma. It beats for him.”


Dante Maroni is the man. If you searched for the definition of a man, you’d find Dante Maroni’s name in it. Dante hides his vicious and brutal persona behind his charisma and well-mannered exterior. He is a man who never curses in a woman’s company, acts like a gentleman on the streets and a freak in the sheets, has a great mouth, and knows exactly how to put it to good use. He is perfection in human form. His actions and words always melt my heart. Dante is so different from the usual mafia men in books. They are told that being an unfeeling monster is the only way to survive in their world, but Dante proved that wrong. He never denied his emotions or feelings—he let himself feel every ounce of them, knowing just how powerful they can be. He is a manipulator, and a great one at that, building his own empire behind his father’s back and plotting his demise so he can finally bring his true queen, Amara, home.

“You’re the beat to my heart, Amara.”


Dante and Amara are everything. If I could define soulmates in two words, it would be Dante and Amara. Two people who fell in love with each other over the course of their lives. Every moment of their story is beautiful in its own way—the way they met as teenagers, how Amara was infatuated with him for years, how Dante helped her heal after the tragic event, and how they both fell in love in their quiet moments of healing and stolen moments from their chaotic and dangerous world. Their forbidden love excited me in the previous books, but here, it was heartbreaking. Their love is so true, so raw, and so pure, despite all the darkness in their world. Their profound connection, untamed desire, unforgettable and epic love—interspersed with the layered tension between them—was everything. The angst, the hurt, the longing and passion, the years of yearning and exile, hoping for a better future for themselves—it all hurts so good in this book.

“You’re the queen on the board, Amara. You’re my most powerful piece, but my most vulnerable. They get you, they get me, and the game is over. So, I’ll do whatever I need to make sure they never get you.”

I admire how they work together as king and queen, side by side, building a stronger foundation for their kingdom—it’s the definition of true partnership. I love how they nurture one another, their relationship, their love, their babies, and everything and everyone around them. How much they strengthen each other with their trust and care. How healthy their love is. Their love blossomed at a very slow and steady pace, and it was perfection in every form. I don’t think my words will ever do justice to what Dante and Amara have. Their love is a masterpiece in itself.

“You’re my magnum opus, Amara,” he told her, pressing his forehead against hers, “And I am your humble servant.”
“No,” she whispered, her words falling against his lips. “You are my emperor.”

The shocking revelations in the final chapters? I never saw them coming, and they broke my heart because Amara didn’t deserve it. The epilogue was everything—seeing Amara and Dante happy means the world to me. I can’t wait to see what other shocking bombs RuNyx has in store for me in the next books of this series.

➙ Second read: October 2024 — ♾ stars
➙ First read: January 2023 — 5 stars

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

❛❛“you” thrust “are” thrust “mine”.❜❜

this quote is i c o n i c.

i wasn’t expecting Dante & Amara’s romance to navigate the plot-line it had. i love how their second chance romance wasn’t shaped through the conventional trope that is used and recycled in one too many romances i’ve encountered. i’m honestly in awe with RuNyx’s writing style, brain and plots. i’m in love with the way her plume could always pull the surprise element. every time my naïve brain thinks it has the entirety of the chess board in place, RuNyx pulls new, impromptu pieces into the narrative.

•i ended up highlighting the hell out of this book because this author is a freaking poet. here’s some of my favorite quotes 🥺:

“you’re the beat to my heart, Amara.”
“and you’re mine,” she replied, her voice barely audible, her words tattooed on his skin.”

“they were lovers and friends, strangers and acquaintances, all those things, none of those things.
they just were.”

“you’re not going to walk through life, Amara,” he uttered roughly, each word a vow that cemented itself in her heart. “you’ll dance through it. and I’ll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. I promise you.”

“she had always been there, and Dante had never noticed like a man never noticed the light of the sun until he went blind.”

“maybe, they were both the same beats.
maybe, theirs was the same heart.”

“her hero could be the villain in someone else’s story.”

———
THEY BETTER BE AS FIRE AS MOARANATRISTAN

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 Stars FRTC...

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
The binge reading continues in the quest to catch up for 🥁🥁 The Syndicater's release. Time for Dante and Amara's story. ❤️

Buddy Read with my lovely Manas 🤸‍♀️

╰⪼ 🥃Morally Grey Characters
╰⪼ ☠️Touch Her and Die
╰⪼ 🔪Friends to Lovers
╰⪼ 🩸Forbidden Romance
╰⪼ 🖤Mystery/Crime/Mafia
╰⪼ 🥃Accidental Pregnancy

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Dark Verse Series ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

̗̀➛ ☠️ The Predator - 3 Stars Book 1 Review
̗̀➛ 🔪The Reaper - 3.5 Stars Book 2 Review
̗̀➛ 🩸The Emperor - Currently Reading
̗̀➛ 🖤The Finisher - TBR
̗̀➛ 🥃The Annihilator - TBR

[bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dante maroni have a breeding kink but I’ll happily carry his spawns.

[lila · Rating 2 out of 5]

i woke up on the wrong side of the bed today (i read this ages ago)

this was so disappointing. i adore the friends to lovers trope. i adore hurt/comfort and the whole “you drew stars around my scars” vibe dante & amara had going on (or so i assumed). i adore stories about soulmates and how they were made for each other but circumstances kept them apart and they fight for their love.

but this wasn’t any of that, at least, not executed well. (there’s gonna be spoilers from here on so beware.)

one of the main things that bugged me in this book was the time jumps and the “years passed. this happened.” narrative this had going on. why am i reading a romance if i’m not seeing the development and progression between the main characters! show me what happened, don’t just tell me!

amara as a kid was such a cutie! shame she didn’t live up to expectations when she was an adult. i’ve heard people call her strong for staying with dante through everything, for enduring all that she did and coming through the other side like a queen — WHERE. she took dante back immediately when he came back to her and she wasn’t satisfied by the ten years of secrecy they endured but didn’t speak up despite dante plying her with false promises.

i did like how respectful dante was of amara’s boundaries from the start because that’s definitely something to appreciate lol and i loved that amara became his person. but i hated how we couldn’t see many scenes of them developing an emotional connection. every time they grew close — cue the author cutting black to the next scene. and on & on. it drove me nuts. why don’t you show me they care for each other more than just the physical/sexual aspect! give me the emotional breakdowns, the fighting and screaming! it really just felt like they were fuck buddies.

after dante broke it off with amara for the first time and yet called her his “queen” and “beat of his fucking heart”, i scoffed and laughed. what sort of love is that, do tell!

FOR TEN. FUCKING. YEARS. they had this weird relationship-not-really-a-relationship where dante appeared in her apartment, they had sex, he vanished and amara just had to grin and bear it. I COULD NEVER. he failed to tell her anything about his life and his secrets and what he’s up to. if he really thinks she’s bold and lovely and the perfect mix of softness and strength for him (as he implies every time they meet) then why doesn’t he fucking trust her enough with his secrets just as he does with his heart (allegedly). it drove me insane.

then of course, dante disappears and is presumed dead by everyone, while amara doesn’t know any detail about it. OBVIOUSLY SHE’S GONNA BE PISSED. the way dante was surprised that she’s mad? like are you stupid or what man. open your fucking eyes. also he said both of them fucked up and i’m like?? where??? yeah she hid the fact that she got assaulted, but it’s her prerogative because it’s her body. whereas him hiding was a decision that impacted their relationship (which impacted him and her!) so he should’ve at least kept her informed. he’s gonna compare something that affects her and is personal to her to something that he did that affected the both of them?? yeah. makes total sense. he has the audacity to say “why did you hide our baby from me” NO SHIT SHERLOCK. you were “dead”. where was she supposed to find you? the audacity to blame her for doing what’s best for her to survive after how she shattered when he left. guy didn’t even apologize at first, he immediately started pointing fingers at amara for playing a part in the destruction of their relationship. how could you just do that to someone for an entirety of ten years and get away with it with the equivalent of a slap on the wrist? it’s baffling to me. amara and dante were about to start a life together. she better fucking know if he disappears and what he’s doing with his life.

tristanmorana will always be beloved to me though <3 precious cuties. i love xander with them.

also why’s everyone related to practically everyone here lmao. dante’s brother is alpha? amara’s dad is the villain mr. x who basically initiated the process of her getting tortured the way she was?

buddy read with buket 💘💗💖💞 reading with her makes everything better 🤪 i loved going through the experience that is this series with you 🥹🖤

[T.S · Rating 4 out of 5]

~ 4.25 ☆

I AM A CHANGED WOMAN!!✊🏼



This book not only made me cry, sob, dig my own grave and shave off all my hair, but it smacked my ass from behind like it was judgement day, it pinned me down on the ground and slapped me across the face, it held me by the neck and threw me inside the lion's den, it made my thrussy throb it had a chokehold on me yall! but at the end it gave me a sweet kiss on the forehead 💋

If I end up living alone on this earth, it's because I ain't finding love like Dante and Amara's. You don't have the faintest idea of what forbidden love truly means till you read this book. Dante and Amara's love is the most fierce, intense, and unapologetic thing out there. Their souls are like two puzzle pieces that were meant to be destined together .

【 Amara】

I was crying and trembling over the shit Amara went through. She went through hell and back but still came out the other side like an absolute badass. She really held this book together because reading from her POV was exactly what I needed. I could relate to her on so many levels, and she reads romance? Bro, she's speaking my language. Her bravery and courage were something to admire and were honestly so inspiring to read about.♥️🥺

【Dante Maroni】

DANTE OMG...I want him in way that will be concerning to feminism 🥵



The mouth of Dante Moarie needs to be studied carefully. I thought I'd read everything there is to read until this man opened his mouth. 🫠 BRO, THE DIRTY TALK!? I was blushing for hours‼️😭 I was really reading words on paper and then looking around my room to make sure no one caught me in 4K frothing at the mouth. There were times I was squealing like a seagull, clutching my jewelries and aggressively ripping off my shirt!

The patience, protectiveness, support, and love Dante showed Amara made me want to drink bleach the unwavering support and reassurance that he’s always going to be there for her through thick and thin made me ache, bro! 😩 I am in LOVE with him, and he isn’t even real.

"You're in my blood, beating in my fucking heart. The only way you go is when the heart stops."

︶︶ ۫︶︶ ۫ ︶︶ ۫

I also really loved the mystery/thriller aspect that was added to the story because it gave the plot more depth and something to look forward to, I was trying to solve the puzzle and put the pieces together. The clues kept me engaged and constantly guessing. Each twist and turn made me so excited!


I'm rating it 4.25 because I felt like the first chunk of 200 pages felt more like a summary and alot of telling rather than showing. There wasn't enough detail for my liking. It would often go like, '''then weeks went by, months went by, years went by, and then bam! 10 years later, she was 29.' This style left me wanting more in-depth scenes and character development, but other then that I can't wait for the next book!!

P.S i love that fictional cat (lulu) to pieces for some weird reason 🤷‍♂️

[Kaitlyn ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

‧₊˚ ┊“𝚈𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎, 𝙰𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚊,” 𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚕𝚢, 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚊 𝚟𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝. “𝚈𝚘𝚞’𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚒𝚝. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚛𝚑𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚖. 𝙸 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞.”


★★★★★ ┊𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙂𝙐𝙔𝙎 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙄𝙉 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀!

𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑨𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑭𝑴𝑪. ༉‧₊˚.

°•*⁀➷ This book gave me everything I wanted out of Dante and Amara’s story. I loved how the book went back in time and started right from the beginning. 𝙄 𝙒𝘼𝙎 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙄𝙏 𝙐𝙋! I loved to see the true evolution of the characters romance. Getting glimpses of it from 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛 left me so excited for the full version of Dante and Amara’s story and 𝙇𝙀𝙏 𝙈𝙀 𝙏𝙀𝙇𝙇 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙎𝙊𝙈𝙀𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝒻𝑒𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃!

‧₊˚ ┊ “𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚜, 𝚗𝚘𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐. “𝙸𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚑, 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑, 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚑𝚎𝚖, 𝚒𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚎𝚜?”

─ .✦ I was super shocked at how hard and fast I fell for Amara’s character. This book covered heavy topics, and was a true show that there is 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝 after traumatic events. I loved who Amara was and what she stood for, she never allowed the evil of the world to cloud the goodness of her own heart, and that is truly admirable.

‧₊˚ ┊ “𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚝—𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝, 𝚊𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚝, 𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜.”

─ .✦ How could I not love Dante!? 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝘼𝙒𝘿 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙈𝘼𝙉 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙮 🤤 Dante gave me the impression that he would slit your throat in one breath for looking at him wrong, but on the flip side he was just a really big teddy bear. He was loyal, loving, and head over heels for Amara. MMC’s being smitten with their lover makes my ovaries do weird things.

‧₊˚ ┊ “𝚈𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍, 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚘 𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚜.”

╰┈➤ Dante and Amara went through so much together. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙭𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙣. Their story felt so raw and realistic to me. They both had flaws and problems, but they also had the most palpable, raw, intense angst, passion, and unwavering commitment to each other.

‧₊˚ ┊ “𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝, 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊 𝚋𝚘𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚑𝚘𝚠, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚒𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍.”

°˖➴ I also found it so pleasurable being able to watch the relationship between Morana and Amara flourish. They are two heroic FMC, that deserve nothing but the best and 𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙔 𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝘿𝙀𝙎𝙀𝙍𝙑𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝘾𝙃𝙊𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍! I wish I could have got a little more interaction between Dante and Tristian? I wish they could have had some "𝘽𝙧𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨" but, that is just me being picky!

─ .✦ I told you I loved Tristian and Morana, but I would give my 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕, 𝕤𝕨𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤 to Amara and Dante. I didn’t expect them to steal my heart. I just couldn’t stop myself from falling in love with both characters. 𝙄𝙢 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮.

‧₊˚ ┊ “𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝?” 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚓𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚝. 𝙷𝚎 𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚖, 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚗, 𝚜𝚘𝚏𝚝, 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜. 𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚘𝚏𝚝 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚑. “𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚗, 𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚜.” 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎’𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚜.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨┊🏹
› 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕪 𝕄𝕖𝕟
› 𝔻𝕒𝕣𝕜 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖
› 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕓𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕖𝕟 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖
› 𝕋𝕠𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕙𝕖𝕣, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕚𝕖
› 𝕄𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕪/ℂ𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖
› 𝔸𝕔𝕔𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕟𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕪
› 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤

𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔
➵ 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕠𝕣 4★
➵ 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕡𝕖𝕣 5★
➵ 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕞𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕠𝕣 5★

𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔
જ⁀➴ Im not crying, your crying… 𝑰 𝑨𝑴 𝑮𝑶𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑻𝑶 𝑴𝑰𝑺𝑺 𝑫𝑨𝑵𝑻𝑬 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑨𝑴𝑨𝑹𝑨. Gosh I loved them so much, my Goodreads besties 𝑹𝑼𝑵 𝑫𝑶𝑵’𝑻 𝑾𝑨𝑳𝑲 and go read this, you won’t be disappointed, especially after you find out what Dante can do with that tongue 😏

‧₊˚ ┊"𝙷𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜, 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚢 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜, 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔, 𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎.”

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

"You’re the beat to my heart, Amara."

Could they be any more perfect and strong? They're a literal warrior couple! I love them both so much as characters and their dynamic together. ♥️

Amara — My heart hurts for what she's been through. I knew I'd like her after reading The Predator. She was so sweet yet so strong, I loved how she fiercely protected herself and her unborn child. I truly respect her; she's literal WIFE MATERIAL.

Dante — He's the greenest red flag ever! Listen to me, this man is perfect! Not at all like other mafia men! He's not shy to express his feelings, needs, and unafraid to show affection. He's vulnerable at times and had an amazing personality in TP & TR. The way he cared for Amara and gradually fell in love with her by taking care of her. His words of affirmation, his respect for her boundaries, and how over the years he learned what gestures she's comfortable with— I'M TRULY IN LOVE. If not for the story, then read this book for Dante. 🥺💕

"In his world of gunshots and screams, her voice was a gentle prayer."

➤ It was so freaking sad when I realized that in Amara's inner monologue she used to say how PITCHED her voice gets whenever someone talks to her about Dante, and then she lost that voice and it's not pitched anymore. 💔 It freaking hurts.

➤ The reason for 3 stars — TristanMorana's story gradually evolved (glaring and too much glaring were part of their slow burn), so their relationship was more detailed. Since this book was a standalone, the past chapters were quite rushed. I mean it's good that the author didn't bother repeating certain scenes from Book 1 and 2, but I still would've loved Amara's POV on those scenes or what Dante thought when he first met Morana. A lot of scenes made me curious, and I wanted to know. The past years went by, but I didn't really enjoy how DanteAmara's secret relationship was told: weeks went by, months went by, years went by, and then bam! 7 years. not really impressive. 😭

➤ If this book had less smut (which I started skimming because after 2 or 3, it was boring to me) and focused more on the progress of their relationship, I would've enjoyed it more.

TristanMorana CAMEOS! 😭💕 I didn't realize how much I love them before reading these cameos. While reading this book I started pretending to be Morana, which is weird asf, but I enjoyed that, and I even made a huge, long imaginary scenario of how Morana tried to plead with Tristan to get a CAT! 🥺😂 Hsksk I already read the bonus chapter, and AAAAGHHH TRISTAN SAID HE'D LET HER BUY A CAT 🦋🦋🦋 and Xander 🥹

"You have a cat?" Morana blinked. "That’s adorable. Can we get a cat?" She looked up at Tristan. "No."

➤ Nerea is a bitch! Just because her pain was more than Amara's doesn't mean she didn't suffer. I kind of started doubting her when she came into the outfit. I knew she would be a spy for something, and I'm still suspicious of Vin. I love him. He's amazing, and he's so pretty in my imagination?! 🤡 I'll be sad if his character becomes bad in the other books.

➤ I can't wait to know about this Syndicator! I do think that it's someone CLOSE. Because, you know, sometimes the authors shock us with someone we already know. Hsjsjs, I don't know right now. Amara's mom? Too nice 💀 and well, none other is that important. Chiara is only Tristan's lizard ex.

RATINGS:

• The Predator – 5 stars
• The Reaper – 5 stars
• The Emperor – 3.75 stars
• The Finisher – 3.5 stars
• The Annihilator – 3.75 stars

[Linz_loves_books (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In that moment, she was just a girl and he was just a boy, and somehow, their broken pieces matched."

I don't know if I have ever fallen in love with characters in a series as much as this one. If Tristan Caine and Morana have my heart than Dante and Amara have my soul. You can't make me choose because I need both to survive.

The last book and this book are simply perfection. I loved this one because we got to see the back stories of the characters. Seeing how Dante and Tristan built a friendship and then how Amara came into the picture. I absolutely adored that about this book. With Tristan and Morana we get "enemies to lovers" but with Dante and Morana we get "forbidden love" and "soulmates". Reading about the two of them and all the struggles and hardships they both went through on each side. Uggghhhh my heart ached for the both of them. I went through three chapters of every emotion I could feel.

I loved getting more of a backstory of Dante and what his character is and even though he is the calmer and collected one out of the two he is also the one with a much dirtier mouth!🤣 This man will fight the world for the ones he loves he just doesn't do in such an "in your face" way as Tristan does, but he is just as protective and vicious.

“You’re not going to walk through life, Amara,” he uttered roughly, each word a vow that cemented itself in her heart. “You’ll dance through it. And I’ll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. I promise you.”

Amara is the epitome of strength and perseverance. Everytime my heart broke for her she came back out fighting. She never lost her heart, just like her mom told her. I love her character so much.

"The most generous of hearts, the most steely of spines, Amara was a woman of beauty, a warrior of blood, a queen of scars.

I honestly believe there are not words to describe these books or these two characters. My words can not do it enough justice. You just have to read them and go through all the emotions and fall in love with these characters yourself because I promise you will.

જ⁀➴Favorite Quotes

"He looked at her like that more often, like a condemned soul being offered salvation, like a blind man seeing the sun."

"She was the beat to his heart and he was the beat to hers, both of them pulsing together. Maybe, they were both the same beats. Maybe, theirs was the same heart.

“You’re in my blood, beating in my fucking heart. The only way you go is when the heart stops.”

"“You’re the queen on the board, Amara. You’re my most powerful piece, but my most vulnerable. They get you, they get me, and the game is over.

"“You should’ve known not to run from me, crazy girl,” he grit out, the rage in his eyes transferring to his movements. “I would chase you to the ends of this earth.”

Pre-read: Ohhh Dante please ruin me like Tristan did!🤭❤️
Buddy read with my Bestie Bella...we can't stop!!

[veerali · Rating 5 out of 5]

— ( ♟️ ) 3rd read • 5 stars ⊹

call me a good girl and i'll do anything for you, dante maroni.



— ( ♟️ ) 2nd read • 5 stars ⊹

screaming, crying, throwing up 'cause i'm forever a danteamara apologist.



⊹ ♟️ tropes
⤿ dark mafia romance
⤿ childhood friends to lovers
⤿ forbidden
⤿ secret relationship
⤿ she falls first, but he falls harder
⤿ she's a survivor
⤿ healing journey
⤿ social class disparity
— TW: panic attack, PTSD, sexual assault against minor, violence against minor, murder, mentions of r*pe and torture, mentions of human slavery, and trafficking.

꒰ 🖇 ⊹  ׁ݂  To every survivor,whether you carry your scars on your flesh or in your soul, whether you've seen the worst of humankind or fought the worst of fates, you're still here.

⊹ ♟️ plot summary

the emperor is the third installment in the dark verse series, weaving the intricate story of dante and amara. dante, the heir to the most notorious mafia in the city, finds himself entangled with amara, the daughter of a servant in his household. once a hopeless romantic in her youth, amara never imagined she would develop feelings for dante, who remains oblivious to her affections. to her, he embodies perfection, seen through a lens of idealism. as the narrative unfolds, dante begins to recognize that amara's feelings are genuine and not merely a passing fancy. he starts to view her differently and finds himself drawn to her as well. however, as a mafia prince, he grapples with his father's morally questionable actions, particularly regarding the skin trade, and is determined to make a change. tragedy strikes when amara goes missing, and upon her return, she struggles to reclaim her sense of self. seeking dante's help, they grow closer, deepening their bond. yet, their love faces opposition from dante's father, forcing them into a painful separation.

꒰ 🖇 ⊹  ׁ݂  Where before he had been a man not appreciating the sun until he went blind, now he was a blind man blessed with vision seeing the sunlight in all its glory. Amara wasn't sunlight of clear skies; she was the sun hiding behind dark clouds, muted but powerful enough to still light the dark.

⊹ ♟️ characters

𖣠 dante maroni
⤿ the emperor
MY MAN. a perfect gentleman in the streets and freak in the sheets. his dirty talks?? omg. he could speak the filthiest things in sweet ways. if he was a drug, i would inhale that shit like crazy.

꒰ 🖇 ⊹  ׁ݂  You're not going to walk through life, Amara. You'll dance through it. And I'll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. I promise you.

𖣠 amara rossi
⤿ the queen
amara is such an inspiring character. her courage, resilience and her bravery were incredibly admirable. her past made me tear up and tremble with emotion. despite every thing she went through, she came out as the baddest bitch. the moments of her crushing over dante were so adorable and had me smiling like a mad woman.

꒰ 🖇 ⊹  ׁ݂  He always had a bit of my heart, but I'm not that girl anymore. My heart isn't the same anymore. This new heart, it doesn't just love him, ma. It beats for him, he came into this new heart to help me rebuilt it, day after day, and he just never left.

𖣠 dante + amara
⤿ soulmates in every universe
the romance between dante and amara is so beautiful and poignant; it almost wanted to make me cry. the story truly broke me in many ways. i found myself going from being transported into scenes of sweet, sweeping romance, to be completely frazzled in tears. dante and amaras' journey throughout the book was unbelievably moving, and the passion between them from their first meeting was undeniable. no matter what obstacles they faced, their souls were only ever drawn together.

꒰ 🖇 ⊹ ׁ݂ "He didn’t think she knew how much he loved her voice. In his world of gunshots and screams, her voice was a gentle prayer, evidence that there was life after the endless noise.”

⊹ ♟️ favorite quotes

─ ⌗ "Dante Maroni was piece of art — a very fine, very exquisite piece of art."

─ ⌗ "You should've known not to run from me, crazy girl. I would chase you to be the ends of this earth."

─ ⌗ “We may not be husband and wife to the world but I have been married to you in my heart for eight years.”

─ ⌗ "We're not a love story. We're tragedy in the making. There is no happy ending for us. I feel that you have a better future ahead of you, and you should take it."

─ ⌗ "His obsession was born out of emotion he had not thought himself capable of. When it began, he didn't know. Maybe it was the second she collided into him and fearlessly demanded his attention, or it was when he held her broken body in his arms after searching her for days, or maybe it was when she looked at him mindless pain before slumping in relief; or maybe it was when he saw her trying to walk on her hurting feet, fall and push herself again."

"Dante didn't know when he fell in love with Amara. He just did."

─ ⌗ “You ever try to leash me, I’ll fucking strangle you with it.”

─ ⌗ "Give me your dreams, your nightmares, your pleasure, and your pain, your fantasies and your fears. Give me everything. Be my queen outside, and my filthy girl inside. And make me fucking yours, so everyone who looks at my ring knows that I have you finally. Say yes, Amara."

─ ⌗ “It’s not where we’re planted but where we bloom that defines us.”

─ ⌗ “He'll be everything dark and you're afraid of the dark, remember?”

─ ⌗ “Dante had never noticed like a man never noticed the light of the sun until he went blind.”

─ ⌗ "You're in my blood, beating in my fucking heart. The only way you go is when the heart stops."

─ ⌗ "He circled behind her, looking at the skin on her back, three thin strips of acid-burned flesh scarred diagonally across one hip to one blade. She probably didn't realize he had matched structure of his back dragon tattoo to match her back scars, from one hip to shoulder. If anyone looked at their naked back together, they would see symmetry — a dragon breathing fire across her back mirrored structure, side by side."


⊹ ♟️ favorite scenes

🖇️𖥻 [ scene one ]

➛ watch dante go from this:

"If I'm no consequence to you".

Dante tilted his head to the side, seeing her. Like seeing her. Really seeing her. Uh-oh.

"It's odd you'd say that. My mother used to often tell me," he mused quietly after the moment, his eyes on hers. "People are like chess pieces. Anyone on the board is of consequence."

Amara shook of her little tremor that started at the base of her spine. "And you think I'm on the board?"

"I don't know yet," he said softly, still watching her avidly.

➛ to this:

“You remember what I told you about chess pieces? That I didn’t know what piece you were?"

“Yes.”

He turned his neck to put his eyes on hers. “You’re the queen on the board, Amara. You’re my most powerful piece, but my most vulnerable. They get you, they get me, and the game is over. So, I’ll do whatever I need to make sure they never get you.”

🖇️𖥻 [ scene two ]

"And if I want this?" she asked him softly, hand fingers wrapped around his wrist, feeling his steady pulse under her palm. "What then? What do we do for now?"

"We hide in the shadows for now." Dante gave her that little grin, the one that always sent butterflies fluttering in her belly, and whispered against her lips, "So, will you play with me, my queen?"

"Amara looked into the eyes of the man she loved, saw that same love reflected back at her, and sealed their fates.

"Yes, I will, my king."

🖇️𖥻 [ scene three ]

They became roots of a tree, buried deep underground, out of sight, twined together, entangled together, strengthening each other, weakening each other, taking all the love like nourishment, storing it in secret places, all the while waiting for the tree that had been violently cut to sprout leaves again.

It took time for forests to grow, kingdoms to built, and empires to exist. Where one was being broken, another was being molded to take its place.

They were lovers and friends, strangers and acquaintances, all those things, none of those things.

They just were.
Waiting.
Chip, chip, chip.
Her exile never ended.
They never truly began.

But empires took more time to break people, and it slowly cracked.

🖇️𖥻 [ scene four ]

He cupped her face in his hands, overcome with the riot of emotions she inspired in him.

"You're my magnum opus, Amara," he told her, pressing his forehead against hers, a move that always brought turmoil in him to standstill.

"And I'm your humble servant."

"No," she whispered, her words falling against his lips. "You are my emperor."


⊹ ♟️ dark verse series

⤿ the predator — 4 stars
⤿ the reaper — 5 stars
⤿ the emperor — 5 stars
⤿ the finisher — 3.5 stars
⤿ the annihilator — 2 stars
⤿ the syndicater — yet to release.

— ( ♟️ ) 1st read • 5 stars ⊹

[Maditales · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely love Dante in the first 2 books but in this one, he became my husband and true love.
The way he cared Amara right from the beginning was heartwarming.
First it was on a friendship more protective level but THEN AHHHHH.

[ଘRory · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★

If you’re looking for a book with a man who could "draw stars around my scars" and a woman who's his ultimate "ride-or-die", then this is your next obsession. On the brutal chessboard♟️ of the mafia world, Dante Maroni isn't just a king—he's the sanctuary for his queen, Amara, who is the very beat of his heart.

the connection between Dante and Amara is something else🔥. Sure, some parts of their story were a little predictable, but others were completely insane in the best way possible. This isn't just a romance; it's a breathtaking clash of hearts and a captivating fight for survival and revenge.

I have never, ever read a man who knows how to kiss like sin and heaven at the exact same time💋. It’s a prayer and a punishment, a revelation and a ruin. I am officially on my knees, 🙏 praying to the book gods for a man who looks at me the way Dante looks at Amara.

[manas (suffering) · Rating 5 out of 5]

➳ ∞ ☆

i buddy read with my twin, heather!

“you are the healer, amara. you are the lighthouse guiding these lost souls to the shore. they need someone to guide them, someone who’s emotionally intelligent, strong enough to understand trauma and survival and still be light. that’s you.”

well, fuck. this one did it for me guys. i love how all of you know me so well. when i was not overtly impressed with tristan x morana's story, you all told me this would be the one, and you were right. this is the perfect introduction to the dark romance + mafia romance world. this series, has passable prose and easy narrative structure, so in order for the world to distinctive, the characters have to be outstanding. in this case... besties, i fear i love these two more than i love myself.

➺ amara rossi maroni : i am not ashamed to say that i truly believe she is the best character runyx has written. there is so much grit, strength, and resilience that made amara a compelling lead + love interest. i was unable to connect with morana, but i always found myself intrigued with amara and her past even from the first two books. as soon as i saw people hating on her for being soft + weak, i knew i loved her more. when bitches hate on women, you have the opposite effect from me. that makes me admire and love them more. she had such an unfortunate past, but i love her determination and overall deportment. softer female characters are so underrated. she was such a wholesome sweet girl. the only contention i have is runyx could have provided more towards the end as their conclusion felt a little bereft.

“seriously, why are you avoiding me?” amara shook her head, sighing. “i’m not.” “liar,” his eyes darkened, his gaze lasered on her. “it bothers me.”

he had seen her at her worst, continued to see her at her worst, and he still looked at her as though she was something precious.

he had been her first infatuation, her first love, her first kiss, her first lover that she had allowed into her body, her first everything.

“what if i get hurt?” “then, i’ll kiss your scars.”

she probably didn’t realize he had matched the structure of his back dragon tattoo to match her back scars, from one hip to one shoulder. if anyone looked at their naked backs together, they would see symmetry—a dragon breathing fire across her back in mirrored structure, side by side.

➺ dante 'ask me to kiss you' maroni : while dante was a formidable man, he was DOWN BAD. as much as i like men who don't speak, when they say the right thing, i am sat. there was a lot of his disposition to shine since he had POV chapters. while there were some aspects of his deportment that i did not connect with, he always put his girl first and was truly doing his best. one detail i loved about him was his ability to communicate. this goes back to the previous two books where i mentioned how authentic it is that the men are normal and their mannerisms are a reflection of their profession, age, and overall lifestyle. dante is the definition of a love sick pathetic man. i ate it up, of course. since all of these men are green-flags, i have no choice but to stan. i am so fascinated by alpha, though. i hope he doesn't flop for me.

his mother didn’t raise him to be an asshole to women, as long as she’d been alive.

“i’m not giving you a choice here. i didn’t work my ass off all these years for something trivial as lack of communication to break us.”

“you’re not going to walk through life, amara,” he uttered roughly, each word a vow that cemented itself in her heart. “you’ll dance through it. and i’ll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. i promise you.”

“you’re in my blood, beating in my fucking heart. the only way you go is when the heart stops”.

“you’re mine, amara. mine to cherish, mine to protect, mine to love. we may not be husband and wife to the world but i have been married to you in my heart for eight years”.

alpha’s eye came to him. “ah, she’s yours. good woman, but i gave her both the names thinking there might be more there.” dante’s gut burned. fuck, no. “she’s mine.”

the writing do be staying atrocious, but i am heavily invested to the point that i don't care anymore. also as someone with an iq of a tree, i cannot be talking...

some random quotes from tristan x morana that had me laughing ⤵

“that tattoo,” dante said, grinning. “you’re so romantic, tristan.” tristan gave him a middle finger that morana immediately slapped. “there are children here. no weird gestures.”

“oh, look tristan, it’s your lizard ex,” morana exclaimed from the door, rolling her eyes behind the glasses.

“you have a cat?” morana blinked. “that’s adorable. can we get a cat?” she looked up at tristan. “no.”

morana rushed to perch herself on the space by her bed, her eyes going to dante’s shirtless chest that he deliberately flexed because he knew it would rile tristan up. on cue, tristan glared at him. “don’t you have a shirt?”

i think i need to get out of my house and talk to real men because i need to be grounded again. these fictional standards are making me very deluded.

[buket · Rating 3 out of 5]

well…i guess that’s what happens when you wait for months to read a book and build your expectations only for it to disappoint you 💔😔

i loved dante and amara at the beginning, they were cute kids and the forbidden trope was there so i was hopeful but it didn’t delivered. my biggest problem was with the pacing. i hated time jumps and how we were told things instead of showing. like first 50% of the book was flashbacks tf is that i lost hope that there was going to be a present time😭

the connections?? why is everyone related to everyone🤨 some rando always ends up being someone’s sister/dad/mom/cousin bla bla bla, don’t care. morana amara friendship?? where??😔 i loved their relationship in previous books but where was morana in this book?? she didn’t even know amara’s cat which she owns for almost 10 years😒dante’s fake 💀?? it was so messed up😒 when i saw amara’s reactions in predator i thought they weren’t close at that time but imagine the man who loves you and fucks you and keeps you as a secret for seven years fakes his death without telling you?? who was amara gonna tell, dante’s dad???🤣🤣🤣 dante’s anger for her keeping her sa a secret?? i don’t even have anything to say about this, it’s literally her body

also why didn’t they killed his dad sooner😒😒 sure sure there were important things they had to sort out first but like no man can keep me as secret for 7 years okay✋🏻 i’m not buying the i’m gonna make you my wife stuff(he did make her his wife i know i know🙂‍↕️) but yeah mama didn’t raise a coward they should’ve 💀💀 him sooner (except they don’t have a mama so i guess no coward were raised)

anyways it’s not like i hated the book it was just disappointing 😔 i was really excited for the forbidden aspect, the maid’s daughter x boss’s son trope but it did not deliver.

tristan morana my loves. gonna send a message card to them for carrying the book on their back😋 their scenes were the most entertaining and their relationship got better which i didn’t think it was possible 🥰

anyways hopefully alpha’s book is better🙏🏼


~~~~~
it is finally time to read DanteAmara 🙏🏼💋 i have high expectations but i know they’re gonna serve💅🏻

reading with my pookie lila 🙂‍↕️🥰

[Fiza · ia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread #1: 5 ★

Real footage of me barking for daddy Dante:


My man will kill people but never disrespect a woman. He just nodes and i melt like a butter (using zero conditional sentence cuz it's a universal fact for me) Dayum man it's not even funny atp.

I have his baby🤰🏻in my basement sorry 🌚

Also when I catch Amara, I'll give her the biggest, tightest, warmest hug ever known to mankind. My Sweetest Warrior Queen!! I love her, no words are enough so I'm just gonna serve my heart-eu on platter for her cuz ik she'll keep it safe.

"a woman of beauty, a warrior of blood, a queen of scars"

The Romance :
*Literally vibrating with butterflies for them*
𝕭 𝕰 𝕬 𝖀 𝕿 𝕴 𝕱 𝖀 𝕷 and 𝕻 𝕰 𝕽 𝕱 𝕰 𝕮 𝕿
You can't even think abt questioning their love. If you do, then immediate JAILLLLLL.
I saw someone being angry on the fact that they waited for each other like WTH cuz this is called "standards" in my dictionary 🙏🏻

The Spice :
My man is an eater- like the King he is. Um- need i say more?? No, i don't think so. The message has been successfully delivered.

The dirty mouth on this gentleman


They both are so bad down for each other and I am here for it. They're my my Magnum Opus, my King and Queen, my Lion and Lioness.

And once again, this user falls for a side character so hard. VINNNNNNN.

Note: Dante's scenes with Tempest Maroni princess in *The Finisher* (Sits infront of AC cuz nothing can ever be more hot than men with kids).

Quotes:

⊹♟️-“You’re in my blood, beating in my fucking heart. The only way you go is when the heart stops.”

⊹♟️-“Ask me to kiss you,”
“Kiss me,”

⊹♟️-"Just wait for me, baby. Please wait for me."

⊹♟️-“You’re my magnum opus, Amara,” “And I am your humble servant."

⊹♟️-“You’re the queen on the board, Amara. You’re my most powerful piece, but my most vulnerable. They get you, they get me, and the game is over.”

⊹♟️-"What if I get hurt?" "Then I will kiss your scars"

⊹♟️-“You’re not going to walk through life, Amara,” “You’ll dance through it. And I’ll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. I promise you.”

⊹♟️-“You’re the beat to my heart, Amara.”
“And you’re mine,”

⊹♟️-“You should’ve known not to run from me, crazy girl,” “I would chase you to the ends of this earth.”

⊹♟️-"He didn’t think she knew how much he loved her voice. In his world of gunshots and screams, her voice was a gentle prayer, evidence that there was life after the endless noise."

[katia · Rating 2 out of 5]

not a single thing happened lmfao what

i miss morana and tristan idc idc

[RuNyx RuNyx]

Am I allowed to say that this story left me raw? Because it did.

LIVE NOW ON ALL PLATFORMS!
Grab your copy: https://books2read/the-emperor

[Youssra (semi ia) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You're the beat to my heart Amara." ❤️❤️❤️😭😭😭😭😭😭

6 starsssss
I'm not being dramatic when I say this, but I would give my life for these two😭
This was perfection🤌
The plot, the romance, the spice 🔥 everything was SO GOOD!
I didn't think Dante would dethrone Tristan, but he did and he did it so effortlessly too😭
I don't know if the other books will top this one and honestly I don't want them to😭
Dante and Amara forever🙌🫶🫶🫶🫶

[itsjessamess · Rating 5 out of 5]

yes. this whole series. YES

[rhea ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️
➢ spoilers are marked~

“we may not be husband and wife to the world but I have been married to you in my heart for eight years. and no matter what comes at us, we will get through it together. we build our empire together. no more running. promise me.”

first, thank you to my love annie for making me read this series :( though it's not the last in the series, this book will def be my favorite. 💋💋🫶🏼

i KNEW I JUST KNEW danteamara would be my roman empire. i was so right omfg these two have imprinted themselves in my mind, heart, body, and soul. they have forever ruined mafia romance for me bc they are now my standard.
dante can do whatever he wants to me. the way he's such a gentleman but also can say the most dirty, out of pocket things say them to me omg… 🧎‍♀️🐕🐕🐕 also for some reason i find it so wholesome that dante originally wanted to be a sculptor,, i got to see the soft part of him through those scenes <3
++ miscommunication?? I DONT KNOW HER. THIS BITCH THREW THAT TROPE OUT TO MARS AND I HAVE NEVER LOVED A CHARACTER MORE!!! && omg amara… :( my heart breaks for her. she is a fmc i will forever remember; her character development was so satisfying to read – she is THE definition of a survivor <3

— my highlighters better be so thankful im reading this online because if i had a physical copy, the ENTIRE book would be covered in highlights and markings. i'm not even the least bit kidding.

— THEYRE SO INVISBLE STRING CODED IM ACTUALLY SITTING HERE IN TEARS 💔💔
“fate is always weaving its threads, Dante. we just don’t see them until our eyes open.”

spoiler! 📢📢
— DANTE PROTECTED AMARA EVEN WHEN THEY WERE APART FOR ALL THOSE YEARS,, he was the one who gave her lulu (this will forever keep me up at night)

— finding out amara’s back scars matches dante’s back dragon tattoo will be my last straw.
“if anyone looked at their naked backs together, they would see symmetry – a dragon breathing fire across her back in mirrored structure, side by side.”

— amara waking up to find dante between her legs will be the hottest thing i will and have ever read. no comment.

— UM ALSO DANTE’S FIGHTING SKILLS ARE SO HOT- like the way he throws the knife and shoots to protect amara holy shit (this is slightly concerning ik…)

spoiler! 📢📢
— that plot twist in the end i’m actually going insane. AMARA’S OWN FATHER ORDERED HER ABDUCTION?!?!?!? wtf with the dads in this universe like 😭😭


✮ ˚｡⋆ ⦗ quotes ⦘ ˚₊ ♟️


“he had been her first infatuation, her first love, her first kiss, her first lover that she had allowed into her body, her first everything.”

“you’re not going to walk through life, amara. you’ll dance through it. and I’ll fucking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. i promise you.”

“you’re my magnum opus, amara, and I am your humble servant.”
“no, you are my emperor.”

“did you know she was mine?” the other man’s eyes widened as he sputtered. “no, no. I swear I didn’t know she was yours. I never would have taken the job if I knew.” dante picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth. “well, at least you know exactly why you’re dying. goodbye, asshole.”


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pre-review: currently buried 10 feet underground bc this book ended me so bad 😭 danteamara u have engraved urself in my soul 💔💔
rtc 🩶❕

pre-read: DANTEAMARA IM COMING FOR UUUUUUU 😭😭🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️
i just know theyre gonna ruin me and im so excited for it 🫣

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAAAY, this one was my fav this series. Absolutely loved Dante and Amara, and unpopular opinion but Dante is my fav one too 🫶🏻