Diamond: Beyond the Red Door

V Vices #1

by Tigris Eden, Michelle Olson (Editor)

The first book in a New Series by Author Tigris Eden, join the men of a post-apocalyptic New York City, as they over indulge in their vices.

Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2015

About the author

BIO
USA Today Bestselling Author, Tigris Eden loves reading and writing.
One of Tigris’ fondest memories, was in the sixth grade, when her teacher read her story, “The Case of The Missing Pepperoni”, out loud to the class. It was then she decided she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. But like all childhood dreams, reality has a way of crashing in and disrupting plans. But her imagination and the voices inside her head never stopped talking. Every dream she could remember was jotted down in her dream journals.


When she’s not writing Tigris marvel’s at life’s gifts. She likes to take pictures of beautiful things. She openly admits that what she may find beautiful another person might not, and she’s perfectly okay with that. She enjoys her music and doesn’t leave home without it. Long pillow conversations with LL about nonsensical things, and hanging out with her boys, when they deem her “cool enough.”


Tigris is a military brat who’s done her fair share of travelling, thanks to her Army father. She’s married to the infamous LL and has three boys. She currently resides in Houston and is actively seeking a book-buddy for the end of the world.

You can find Tigris on Twitter, Facebook, and at her website.

Reviews

[Marta Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book from this author and most certainly not my last. There are a lot of books available that claim to be dystopian with dark undertones but this book just knocked me for six! I wasn't quite sure what to expect but whatever it was it most certainly wasn't this. I read the synopsis and thought alrighty then futuristic sci fi with a mysterious heroine and the stereo typical alpha male. Can I state here and now that this book seems to have a life of its own and if it's a romance you seek then perhaps you will scream but if you want to get knocked on your ( no doubt) shapely behind then this book deserves to be read!
A harsh society where anything is possible and everything has a price. Into this awful setting comes Nadya a woman with secrets and unfortunately they are even kept from her! Her personal goal is to secure safety for those she cares for and to do that there's nothing that Nadya won't do. Getting inside the red door is just the start though as there may be monsters outside but there's also treachery and danger within . Gaining the attention of Lavarious Diamond is just the start as Nadya is about to crash through so many barriers on this journey that turns out to be revelationary !
I was a tad confused initially as to just what had happened to Nadya but I really liked that the reader was taken along on Nadya's voyage of self discovery . She is a unique character with strengths and a naivety that doesn't come from a lack of experience but more a complete lack of ingenuousness. She lacks guile and sophistication perhaps but understands full well that trust has to be earned.
Diamond knows he is not a good man but there's a part of him that wants to be and he believes he does good things. He sees things in black and white which handicaps him. Diamond was a character that unfortunately believed himself invulnerable and his arrogance meant he left himself wide open. Is there an attraction between them? Most definitely but it's just the beginning of Nadya's adventures. A shock ending and I haven't a clue what might happen next but then again I seem to think that perhaps the author hasn't either . Whatever comes next is going to be exciting , of that I have no doubt!
I was gifted a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Viking Jam · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://koeur.wordpress.com/2016/05/0...

Publisher: Kats Kreative Ideas

Publishing Date: April 2016

ISBN: 9781625177247

Genre: SciFi

Rating: 3.4/5

Publishers Description: Eons ago, the comet Biel passed through Earth’s atmosphere, depositing Travelers and leaving behind remnants that drastically altered the planet and its inhabitants. Hundreds of years later, mutation and evolution have left behind a desolate wasteland and dangers beyond comprehension.

Review: Our anti-heroine Nadya is on a quest to sell her puss to the highest bidder as she is a virgin warrior living in squalor with no means to save her adopted family. She travels to the Quarry in hopes of securing a sponsor for said puss, because unsullied snapper is the best kind of fish. Nadya has a hidden past that comes through in spurts of ability but doesn’t take over the story-line with super human feats. She is battered and beaten in every sense, and doesn’t remember most of her previous life, only that she owes a debt to those that took her in.

Ah, dystopian where is thy sting? Much of this novel skirted with the romance angle, that many times I almost round filed the whole thing. BUT, it never quite reaches a culmination of active hormones and turns you on your ear as to previous considered outcomes. Whereas all the guys have huge penis’ and all the women are hot I failed to grasp the relevance to the story line. All the sex, voyeurism, violence and depravity failed to capture the dystopian theme mainly because they were so overt and lacked a subtle expertise in order to slowly bring your emotions into play. Its just “Wham Bam” shock type writing that most are immune to.

The world building is very good as is the writing. The supporting cast is fairly one dimensional and much of the scenes lacked logical progression. Tighten this up and you get an easy 4 stars.

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm conflicted by this one. I could see why it's mostly high rated but I wasn't able to quite get into the story and enjoy it. Maybe I'm simply not in the right headspace for it and a reread might do it justice someday. But for now it's a 3 stars

[Kami · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I really like this cover. Very cool. This is a dystopia SciFi book with aliens, a comet, depletion of clean water and mutations. A good premise. I didn't care too much for the characters. I was really confused about what was going on with Nadya and I really wasn't liking Lavarious Diamond. I am a big fan of dystopia and sci fi but I just couldn't get into this book. Maybe because there was so much going on and so much unexplained. 3 stars.

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like if I just write WOW!, that will cover the review, yet I know I need to provide more than one word.

Let’s begin with the official stuff, I was provided a copy of Diamond in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.  the cover drew me in; I mean seriously; this has to be one of the best covers I’ve seen in a long time. Once I read the book, it ultimately NAILED the female protagonist, Nadya.  
I have been drawn to post-apocalyptic stories for a while and read so many.  This is a world where every breath is a fight, water is scarce, and food… Well, what do people do when food runs low?  It’s savage, raw, and depicts a nightmare world.  The imagery was brutal yet so realistic; I was thankful for my fresh glass of water.
 
Nothing in this story went how I thought.  NOTHING. 

Diamond, at one point, was probably an honorable man; yet through this hard life and choices he has made, and the power he has, he’s become a tyrant.  What’s the saying? “Ultimate power corrupts ultimately.”  Yes, I think that sums up Diamond. 

“I’m going to use everything you got, to get everything I need, and give you the leftovers I don’t want.”

He is a bastard in the biggest way and only cares about himself; yet, when Nadya is introduced into his world, he starts to thaw that frozen heart, in little bits, I mean by 1/16.  Nadya also blows his world apart, and shows Diamond his isn’t in such a position of ultimate power as he thought.  This realization is a brutal blow to this megalomaniac, and this is where things really start to turn; I was given a big WTF and I realized the story wasn’t going to be anything I thought.  Oh no, it’s wasn’t.  Eden warned us in the preface, but oh holy hell!  I’m still reeling.  

Again, the best word to sum up the story is WOW.  Diamond is so brutally raw in the realities of humanity and the base instinct to survive.  I am giving this story a HUGE 5 Boundless Stars.  I cannot wait for the next book!....Sara

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[Mary Hartshorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very well written book that keeps you on your toes. I was very impressed with how well the characters were described, the flow of the story, and the crazy world they live in. This book reminds me of Road Warrior/Mad Max with the extreme depravity and human desperation in this book. The only difference is that there are beings in here who resemble humans but are very old and came from other worlds. I really liked this book! It ended in the most unexpected way, that I was simply amazed! I cannot wait for the next installment to see what Nadya is going to do and what other surprises the author has in store. An absolute must read!!!

This story is about Nadya, a desperate woman trying to trade the most valuable thing of herself she can to Lavarious Diamond, in order to secure some type of future for the woman and her daughter who saved her 3 years ago when she was left for dead. Nadya can’t remember her life before the day she woke up, but somehow she has been able to retain the much needed skills for combat and survival. Nadya offers a rare and exotic ‘commodity’ that will be able to bring some much needed Wave (water) and other goods to Diamond’s city. Diamond is bound and determined to have Nadya close at all times to make sure that he gets what he expects.

Lavarious has been very complacent in the running of his empire though, because unbeknownst to him there are those who have been conspiring together to take him down. One of them is also after Nadya, which he is unaware of until it is too late. Throughout their adventure together though, Nadya is slowly retaining the memories she lost which includes her forgotten mission, and unexpected betrayal. Nadya needs to decide on who she is willing to trust, what she is willing to trade, and how far she is willing to go.

[Leah Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this free for an honest review.

This was not my normal genre but I have read quite a few of Tigris Edens books and have enjoyed them. This caught my fancy so I thought I would give it a go.

I liked this first book it definitely caught my interest and it was hard to put down sometimes. The descriptions of the “new earth” and all the different type of characters were very interesting. Sometimes I found all the detail a bit confusing but it all starts to fall into place. Character interaction was smooth and believable except maybe the internal monologue of Nadya got a bit repetitive and tedious in places.

You are left wondering who are the good or bad characters and there are more questions than answers. One of the twists left me going “Whaaaaat!??........and I had to re-read a section to make sure I had read correctly.

There is obviously so much more to come for this story and I was disappointed at the end when it didn’t finish……I was so into the ending that i forgot it was a series. Hopefully it won’t be too long for the next part.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world building in this first book is amazing. I'm a fan of the genre, but this was really good. More than. The different factions are going to be interesting as the series moves along I expect, and the characters are significant. Really enjoyed this first glimpse. The story clicks along pretty quick and you see into lives briefly at times, and deeper at others.

[Sharrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fan-freaking-tastic!!

[Sara]

Please see Boundless Book Reviews for the review, that will post at a later date.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...

[Nadine Van Dijk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully different!
Bad ass on a new level!
I read it in one session.

[Rosemarie Short · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like my Sci-Fi gritty. That’s always been a given – whilst I love a bit of cheese when it comes to my televised Sci-Fi (think space operas), I’m a lot less tolerant when it comes to my reading. I would state that, in my opinion, Diamond does a good job of being light on the dairy.

This is dark. There’s a lot of really savage themes here which, considering the length of the book (just topping two hundred pages) and the tone (think a mix between Dredd and Mad Max in terms of world building / characters), are presented really, really well. If you have triggers for sexual abuse, this may not be a book for you. However, I would say that I personally found Eden’s exploration of sex trafficking and prostitution, in the confines of Sci-Fi, to be far and away improved from other books I’ve read attempting the same.

I was definitely not expecting to be reading a book which looked so starkly at a potential world which accepted this as run of the mill. What made me feel the content was well placed was two fold; Eden writes the material un-apologetically, and she writes it without making it sexy. Sure, when our main character sees a man’s sizeable man parts, she takes a second glance. When the same man insists on entering a shower with her without her permission, she is suitably uncomfortable and unappreciative. I know that this sounds fairly elementary – but dear reader, I’m afraid to say that usually it’s not. People taking advantage of each other through sex is something which is romanticised so much in fiction. To see what I felt was a logical (as far as the dystopian world allowed) divergence of that was something I was really pleased to see.

I’ve never read anything by Tigris Eden before, but she is a great writer. Considering how much happened in such a short number of pages, her pacing was really great. In fact, I would argue that another fifty pages could have laid out some really great character development, which could have elevated this read for me further. I was a little thrown by the amount of characters introduced at once; especially Diamond’s gang, who (except Emerald who is my not so secret favourite) seemed to largely serve very similar roles. I don’t think merging a couple of erroneous characters together would have hurt – but saying that, their multitudinous nature didn’t offend me either. Those extra pages could also have connected events a little more smoothly – towards the end I definitely felt that a little more string to connect the dots would have aided the rhythm of the read.

My only other critique would be that, now this debut is out of the way, I am looking for a little more “show don’t tell” in later installments. I often bang on about this in reviews, but for the uninitiated; I have a low tolerance for lots of inner monologue exposition about fictitious historical events. There were a couple of occasions here where what begins as a character’s internal observation quickly morphs into a history of post-comet-Earth. I understand that this is often unavoidable. However, a way to enhance the story would be to find ways to insert some of these revelations to the reader (but not to the characters who have lived through it) into plot, dialogue – or a mixture of the both.

I liked Nadya as a main character; her strength and pride really made me want to root for her throughout. I felt like she sometimes lost track of herself and her goals (though this can be put down to various memory issues, as outlined in the book – read if you want to know more!!) and could forgive that. Her interactions with Diamond were largely relatable, considering the situation. Diamond was also great – every time Eden shined a glimmer of humanity on him, she was sure to remind me a paragraph later that he was a piece of shit who dealt in prostitution and human organs; and despite everything, that was not looking likely to change. Having a character who was unflinchingly bad whilst also showing (very) select good traits, worked brilliantly to highlight both Nadya’s character, and the motives and ethics of those around him.

I could probably talk about this book for another hundred paragraphs, but I think a summing up is in order. Diamond, as I imagined upon first requesting it via Netgalley, seems like any other YA Sci-Fi. I think those low expectations really allowed me to see that there’s so, so much more here than meets the eye. A strong female character, a great introduction to a new dystopian world and an enjoyable, often intelligent, read. I’m definitely on board to further installments.

[MELODY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my first read by Ms. Eden, in fact I am a huge fan of her writing. This however, is a different kind of story. Ms. Eden has broadened her horizons and moved from adult fiction to distopian. I am not a huge fan of distopian but because I adore her writing I wanted to see if she could change my mind, and I am pleased to say she has indeed. Ms. Eden's writing voice is heard throughout and she will suck you into the future world that is gritty and ugly and it's a dog eat dog world.

Nadya is a women with secrets - secrets even she can't remember, she has flashes of who she is but they are vague recollections at the best. She is a fighter, she is a heroine for the times (only she doen't know it yet. She sets off on a mission to protect her adoptive family by selling her virginity to the highest bidder through Lavarious Diamond - he is a man in charge, a man of passions, and man not afraid to trade anything to get what he wants and needs. It is his world or so he thinks - it's a harsh place where everything and anything has a price.

Ms. Eden, will take you into her the depths of her mind and leave you screaming. I will warn you there is a cliff hanger of an ending that will make you scream for more! Well, done Tigris. If you are a fan of distopian then this is definitely worth the time - if your not and want to give it a try then Diamond is an awesome way to get your toes wet.

[Diana Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tigris Eden has taken on the herculean effort of world building after a comet flys past Earth, leaving not only pieces of itself, but beings called Travelers behind. Nadya is half Traveler, half human and isn't quite sure where she belongs. She knows beyond the "Red Door" a different world awaits, safer;, maybe, more luxurious ; maybe, but very definitely full of things she's never seen or wanted before. It's all run by Lavarious Diamond, a man as enigmatic and dangerous as they come. He traffics in human body parts and sex partners, as well as anything else that will make him money.The action packed twistes and turns as well as the death, destruction and heat will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole book !! It is a well written dystopian story that I can't wait to read book 2 of from Tigris Eden. 4☆'s I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to say about this book...it is not what I expected. The world-building is immense and somewhat complicated, which is one of the reasons why I love Tigris's writing, even if I have to highlight a lot and reference back to it because my brain isn't what it used to be. There are so many characters that each have their own agendas, not including what they portray to others. It is a multi-layered story and we have just scratched the surface! I am definitely anxious to see what else Nadya will be doing as well as some of the other characters. I was surprised by the ending. I don't know who I'm rooting for at this point. ;)
Thank you for another amazing story, Tigris! You're brilliant!!

*This book is dark, gritty and graphic. *
I received a free copy in advance for an honest review.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and very interesting story about a time far after the world as we know it ended, with strange and horror inducing creatures, mutations and deviations, with people adapted to the new surrounding, some of them strong and heroic, others plain selfish or downright cruel. You are not quite sure who you can trust and what they really are and that makes it a compelling rollercoaster ride, sometimes nearly too fast for me (more than once I had to slow down my reading and step back a few sentences to get everything that was happening), with sudden twists and turns and ups and downs that leave you breathless and wanting more. Because hey - why is it already over?! I need the next book in the series, prettyplease!

[Dianne Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. This was done in typical Tigris fashion. This story kept me on my toes. I usually don't read dystopian style books, but this is the exception.

There were some twists that I did not even think would happen. The ending was a shocker and now I am biting my fingernails waiting impatiently for the next book in the series.

Tigris has away of throwing me off the ending, which is a nice change as I can usually tell what is going to happen and makes it so I love her writing.

She has a fan for as long as she keeps writing. Highly recommend this author.

[Tiffany Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian, look no further! This books is dark, gritty, and scary, but oh so amazing. This is the first book I've read from Tigris Eden and I absolutely loved Diamond. Quite a twist ending, that's for sure. Seriously didn't see that coming. And not wanting to give spoilers, but I love who she ends up being with! The writing flows, the world building phenomenal, and the characters were flushed out very well. Only thing I didn't care for too much was how many different POV's there were, but I was never confused. Can't wait until book 2!

[ZARIA (Sheldon Cooper lover) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love dystopians but unfortunately this was not my cup of tea. It was similair to Mad Max in terms of world building and i hate Mad Max movies.....