Tormented

The Condemned #3

by Alison Aimes

“On your knees.”

Captured, collared, and caged is the last place ice-cold Council assassin Jade Lakotesh wants to be, but when she discovers she’s sharing her prison with her target, a ripped barbarian who blames her employer for his fate, she accepts only one of them will leave the cell alive.

Walsh Ryker hit rock bottom with the deaths of those he loved most. Now, he’s plummeted to a new low, trapped with a cellmate as ice cold as she is stunningly hot. She’s out for blood, lacks any ability to cooperate…and leaves him more alive than he’s felt in years. For a man no longer interested in feeling, she may be his greatest hazard to date.

He never expects to see her as more than the enemy. She never expects to crave his rough, raw commands.

But as dangers mount, and they are forced to work together to defeat a shared threat, will the scorching passion between these two enemies entomb them in the dark forever—or be the key that sets them free?

The third book in the Condemned Series, Tormented is a standalone, action-packed, sexy sci-fi, enemies-to-lovers romance with a HEA and a dirty-talking, strong alpha who meets his match where he least expects. You won’t be able to put it down.

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Aliens, Science Fiction Romance, Fantasy, Dark

343 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 29, 2019

About the author

Alison Aimes is a USA Today bestselling author of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Omegaverse Romance. Her books are on the steamy side and full of strong heroes, brave heroines, loads of action, and happy ever-afters. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two kids, her dog and a serious stash of chocolate.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tormented is book three in the Condemned Series by Alison Aimes. Wow! Just Holy Wow! This book blew my mind. Each book in this series can be read as a stand alone. I did read the first book but skipped book two so I could get to this one. You better believe I am going back to read book two as soon as possible.

Walsh Ryker used to work for the Council on New Earth. Until it became apparent that the Council were not the good guys. So he became the resistance. But, he was captured and lost everything that was dear to his heart. Now, two years later, he is living with other resistance fighters on Dragath25. The leader of the deadly gang of prisoners on the planet has constructed a deadly weapon and he needs to steal it. He is on a mission to do so when he encounters a new and very deadly opponent. Only it’s not one of Dragath25’s resident prisoners at all, but a beautiful woman.



Jade Lakotesh is a Council assassin on New Earth sent to Dragath25 to retrieve the weapon and bring it back to them. Jade was an orphan, raised by the Council to be a cold hearted killer. She felt no emotion and thought only logically. When she encounters the fierce resistance fighter, her first thoughts are that she can take him, that he is no match for her. Until she finds herself naked and chained in a cell in complete darkness. And he is being held captive there as well.

I would call this an enemies to lovers story. These two are complete enemies in the beginning. Jade stands for everything Ryker hates. But they soon realize that in order to save themselves, they will need to work together. It also doesn’t take long to realize that there is some sort of unexplainable pull between them, something neither of them can ignore or resist, try as they might.

“Council and Resistance, ice queen and hothead. Until they were just two breathless shadows wrapped around one another, desperate to feel, to touch, to live.”



For Jade, Ryker awakened her. She had been trained not to feel. Attachments had been forbidden. She was slowly realizing just what she had been missing. For Ryker, he had closed up his heart two years ago. But what he was beginning to feel for Jade was beyond anything he had ever experienced before. It both scared him and awed him. They began to trust each other and to care for each other.

“He’d finally decided to live again and he wasn’t doing it without her.”

“You wreck me, Jade. But you heal me, too. We’re each other’s always exception.”



At every turn, Jade and Ryker are met with danger and possible death. But together they face every challenge. They are battling danger from the prisoner gang and also are fighting against a raging dust storm which makes trying to get from one place to another a fight against death by itself.



“Pain and grief had twisted and changed him, but it had also made him stronger, the kind of man able to love a woman as fierce and brave as his warrior assassin.”

This book was crazy good. I’m telling you that you cannot stop reading. You have to know what happens next. The suspense takes your breath away. But also, there is so much love. As Ryker and Jade accept their feelings for each other, they are also forced to make decisions based on that growing bond. Decisions to protect each other but that also would put any future they might have in jeopardy.



I can’t say enough how much I loved this book. We also meet Ryker’s friend and fellow resistance fighter, Griff. The next book, Tamed, book four, will be his story. I can’t wait.

“For the first time in my life, I’m excited about what tomorrow will bring.”

For more about this book and so many more, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/44036...

[❤️Emma Book Lover ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Ryker rulzz!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


This is by far my favourite !!!!

I loved this one, was a roller coaster of emotions and action and sexy times!

We have Jade - Council assassin and
Ryker - resistance fighter

They are explosive together!

Both of them are locked in the same prison cell( a metal box) and they can’t deny or resist the strong pull between them . The strong bond and connection that blossom between these two is fireworks.

This is a story about spirit awakening, enemies become lovers and sacrifice. Jade is trained to be an unfeeling robot and Ryker cannot forget or forgive himself for the past. Together they learn that life gave them a second chance at happiness, even if they have to fight and battle danger at every turn.

The suspense here keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time and I read this in a day!! Sooo crazy good !!


Can’t wait for Griff’s story😍😍😍

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this one just because of how much of a tool Ryker could sometimes be in the previous book and I was interested to see how this would play out in his own story.
I was also very intrigued to see if the glimpses we got beneath the surface off this complex man who had lost so much would continue and just what kind of man in essence Ryker at his core actually was.
So Walsh Ryker ex-council soldier turned resistance fighter with such a tragic back story and Jade Lakotesh brainwashed council assassin on this brutal penal planet to retrieve a dangerous weapon and then destroy Dragath25 and all who reside there.
But plans are never set in stone and when these two end up imprisoned together they must work together like it or not to outwit Prisoner 223 and his gang.
So Ryker detests anything Council and Jade is most definitely their trained lackey.
But the more she learns here the more she questions her superiors cruel methods and her ultimate mission statement and goals.
Jade despite her profession has a strong moral compass, she's also all about the logic and likes to weigh the odds.
Ryker is her complete opposite, a bit of a hot-head he sometimes speaks and acts before he thinks.
Together these two were dynamite and they had an explosive personal chemistry that just projected off the page.
So, this was very much enemy to lovers and out of the three in the Condemned series: this one I enjoyed the most.
"Tormented" for me was just the complete package.
I'm not sure why this had the slight edge for me in terms of my rating, I just felt a tad more connected overall to Ryker and Jade as characters and the whole story here just felt so evolved and developed.
Action-packed practically from the onset and full of witty banter between the two mains this was such a page-turner.
I also appreciated the added explanations about prisoner 223 and his background.
this one for me was the stand out winner of this series so far, each book for me slightly topping the previous.
I am really looking forward to experiencing Griff's book next, we will hopefully discover what darkness he keeps hidden behind his deliberately charming persona.
Fingers crossed that a newly enlightened someone might have caught a slim break and will get his own story as well.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Tormented (The Condemned Series, #3).



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was going really well - better than its prequels, actually - and I was on the verge of giving it 4 stars. But then there was a plot twist at about 75% in which I just couldn't get behind.

So, the hero was widowed when his wife and unborn son were murdered. I usually dislike reading about previously married heroes, but I gave it a shot anyway and it was alright. THEN the plot twist was... maybe his wife and son are alive!!! At which point he dropped the heroine like a hot potato and raced off after them. I can't blame him, of course, but romantic that is NOT. I think it showed really clearly exactly where the heroine comes in his list of priorities. He was planning to get back together with his wife out of guilt! Turns out to be a red herring of course but I've no doubt he'd have gone through with it if he had to.

So it had to be 2 stars in the end. A shame, since the heroine was awesome, but after that I just don't trust the hero's love.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5: What an exciting book filled with action, chemistry, and a whole lot of ‘how in the heck’ will this turn out questions! This sucked me in and kept me reading and the only thing that would’ve been better was if I had started at book 1 instead of 3. It is a stand-alone, but would’ve helped me ease into the setting a bit more.
Ryker is a warrior who was part of a group called the Resistance. The details we get if his past are heartbreaking.
Jade is part of a group called the Counsel who are enemies of the Resistance. She is trained to be a mission oriented, unfeeling badass.
When they are thrown together their passion as enemies is intense, and then they start to see each other beyond their labels.
Great job by the author in making me really like something out of my normal realm.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Return to the brutal penal planet Dragath25



Love can be found in most surprising places...even the most hellish! Council assassin Jade Lakotesh has arrived on the prison planet on a mission to recover a weapon and stop a mad man. She survives by closing out everyone. No one gets close, that is forbidden. She is flawless and lethal and never fails in her mission. Until she ends up naked and chained in a dark container, her assignment in jeopardy. The fault lies with the huge, naked man chained with her. And she has no idea how to stop her reactions to him.

Ex-Resistance fighter Walsh Ryker lost his family to the hated Council. He lives only for revenge and he never wants to feel anything again. Love and softness only brings pain. Now his mission to capture a dangerous weapon is in peril thanks to the ice cold spitfire he is chained up with. She makes him feel things he thought were long dead. She makes him want to wring her neck! She is everything he ever wanted and completely dangerous.

These two must work together to defeat a madman and save helpless captives. If they don't kill each other first. Or burn each other with their lust.



I loved everything about this story. And I didn't think I would because I don't like tough, hard, cold heroines! But Jade is not really what she appears to be. She is complicated and delicate and sad.

And Ryker? He is everything that I love in a Hero! He protects the weak and fights the good fight for the good of everyone. He is handsome and scarred inside and out but like the Phoenix, he rises and burns.

Alison Aimes is such a wonderful storyteller! This book unfolds like a movie in my mind and I can see and feel and hear everything clearly. She makes me want to find out more about the people of Dragath25 . That is talent!

There is dirty sex, and violence and danger at every turn. But at the heart of it it's a love story of two hurt people who heal each other and it's beautiful!

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging Action/Adventure Sci-Fi Romance!

“Tormented” is the third book in The Condemned series, is professionally written/edited, engaging and extremely fast paced. Although the third installment within the series, the novel can be read as a standalone but for maximum enjoyment and additional background material, reading the prior novels may be warranted. The story is conveyed from dual perspectives, providing the reader with the thoughts, emotions and aspirations of both lead characters. The female lead, Jade, is portrayed as remarkably strong both physically as well as mentally and initially depicted as a cold, detached, unemotional assassin. As a former resistance fighter, the male lead Ryker is also a tough protagonist, who has disengaged himself emotionally to cope with his tragic past. The protagonist’s characterizations are quite complex, and both undergo a transformation throughout the story-line, in this enemies to lovers dark sci-fi/fantasy adventure romance.

Set on the prison planet of Dragath25 the world-building is excellent, providing a vivid mental image of the planet and the many dangers to the inhabitants from a depraved prison gang, the vile Counsel as well as the planet’s natural environment. Teeming with plenty of action, adventure, danger, suspense and high heat, “Tormented” is guaranteed to keep readers turning (or swiping) pages to find out what happens next. As with most prison planet backdrops, Dragath25 is a violent, merciless as well as forbidding world and not appropriate for sensitive readers.

Disclaimer: No Kindles were seriously harmed while reading this novel. Children 18 and over due to explicit sexual content and violence.

Disclaimer for the Disclaimer… The term “seriously harmed” is not intended to include: overheating, scorch marks, minor melting or inconsequential fire that can be put out with an extinguisher. Fire retardant gloves highly recommended while reading. Reviewer is not responsible for run-on sentences, questionable grammar or misplaced commas.

RATING DETAILS (Based on 1 to 5 Gold Stars):
STEAM FACTOR: 5 Steamy Stars
WRITING STYLE: 5 Professional Stars
PLOT: 5 Action/Adventure Stars
ENGAGING CHARACTERS: 5 Ex- Resistance Stars
SATISFYING CONCLUSION: 5 Fulfilling Stars


*** I voluntarily received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review ***

[Dísir · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been quite a while since I’ve returned to Alison Aimes’s ‘The Condemned’ series, but it’s entertaining as hell with a bit of a spin to the tale of enemies-to-lovers and a flashy, bloody and violent B-movie erotica vibe.

I was hoping in some ways, for a continuation for Bella and Caine’s story after the first book. But Aimes is taking the series in a different direction and I’m slowly coming round to it, as her focus shifts onto the inhabitants of the brutal penal planet Dragath25 and the slow unravelling of the politics between a dystopian earth and corruption that shows good/evil is not as it seems.

Aimes pits the cold, robotic Jade Lakotesh against former resistance fighter-turned-slave Walsh Ryker and it’s not at all smooth-sailing from start to end, but I was surprised—pleasantly—by the twists and turns in story, and the gradual expansion of the world-building that seemed to be gaining steam without any signs of flagging. Essentially, it was much more than what the blurb suggested and much more than what I was expecting and that always turns out well.

The instant lust that made me cringe aside, Aimes does handle character and pacing quite well (there were parts that had me rather frustrated with them both nonetheless). Still, the biggest draw of ‘Tormented’ isn’t just about Jade and Ryker, but rather, the sudden opening up of the penal planet ‘verse and the insertions of so many secondary characters that have so much untapped potential.

Sure, it's flashy and sometimes, probably a little gratuitous when it comes to sex and violence - the amount of dirt and dust had me cringing during the smutty scenes that went on as though these were niggly details not worth bothering about - but at its most basic, this was a fun, roller-coaster ride.

*ARC by the author

[JD (on semi-hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book featuring the band of male Resistance fighters exiled to a prison planet by New Earth's corrupt Council and the women they grow to love. While it's a standalone in terms of the couple, the world-building occurs in the first book, and the MMC first appears in the second. In addition, this begins en medias res, so you will be lost if you haven't read Taken. I have and I didn't remember how Ryker and Grif got separated from their mates.

Here, we get an enemies-to-lovers story in the form of Resistance fighter Ryker and Council assassin Jade. The two arch enemies must work together to find a nuclear weapon before it can be used to destroy New Earth. Though neither trusts the other, they can't help the attraction they feel. Can these two put aside their considerable differences -- and their painful pasts -- to make a future?

There's a lot to enjoy here. Both characters are extremely likable and achieve considerable growth. I appreciated that Jade was strong and resourceful, and that Ryker appreciated it. While the secondary characters weren't as vivid as they have been in the past two books, I cared very much about the little band of abused slaves that Jade and Ryker were protecting, and I wanted the MC to get their HEA -- god knows they earned it. I do advise potential readers that each book gets considerably darker. Ms. Aimes bases each storyline on our social problems (climate change, slave labor). Here the prison camp that Jade and Ryker come across is clearly modeled on German concentration camps and Russian Gulags; thus we get much more visceral accounts of abuse than we have before.

I do, however, have two problems with this particular book and one with the entire series. First, the narrative is very repetitious and several scenes could have been cut (I began to skim over the umpteenth time Jade or Ryker threatened each other or, later, wanted to sacrifice themselves for the other). Second, while I generally appreciated the high-stakes line of action (their mission was really life or death), I'm not a fan of the kind of false conflict that seems insurmountable, but ultimately go nowhere. In this case, Jade and Ryker had enough to work through without the author's bringing in the possibility that Ryker's wife and child were still alive. This complication was unnecessary; took focus away from the couple; added nothing new to Ryker's characterization that we hadn't already seen; and was ultimately a lot of much ado about nothing. Finally, I still feel -- as I've said in other reviews -- that we need more information about how New Earth came to be.

3 1/2 stars which I'm raising to 4 because I was invested in the story -- even if that one plot twist almost ruined it for me. There is at least one other book. Note: Unlike the previous h's, Jade is not an Omega.

[Trixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

These said it all: “They’d both been lost. She, because she’d never known what it was to be loved. He, precisely because he had known and lost it all. But somehow, in a universe as vast and dangerous and unforgiving as this, on a planet even more brutal, two people, who should never have been anything but enemies, had found each other and become so much more.” And it was just perfect.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Celestine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jade's journey is what keeps this book readable. She is an interesting character, an assassin who finds that while she thought she was protecting the realm, she was its unwitting enforcer. If Aimes would take a little time to have her characters find their way rather than throw them into sex so fast - or so often, I would be a much bigger fan of her books. The bones are there. Interesting characters with tormented backstories. Sci-fi elements that feel original. Good perspective and retrospective. Unfortunately, the bone#s keep getting in the way.

[SBee Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

★ Assassin, meet Felon ★

—>>> Raised to behave like a robot, at the Council’s beck and call, trained operative Jade is not prepared to meet someone like Ryker, her enemy, an ex-Resistance soldier, not that there were there any rulebook guidelines on how to proceed, anyway. With her perfect control waning and now her heart insisting on being filled with pesky unwanted feelings and unfamiliar yearnings, it was best to move forward and refocus on her mission, because more and more was at stake, beyond her newest and startling desires which included this rough and gruff man. Ryker has battles of his own: his tragic past, his missing second in command, his situation with this beautiful woman who wakes in him a passion but also the memories of what she represents has brought into his life.

This was my favorite of the series, with its lurking danger from all corners and a few awesome twists which challenge the temporary partnership they have managed to forge.

[Keather Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you imagine being caged with your enemy? Jade is an assassin who has learned to trust no one but herself. Ryker is a scarred ex-resistance fighter and has lost those he most cared for. In order to escape they must cooperate with each other, the last thing in the world either of them wants to do.

I love a good, interesting story with characters that have real depth to them. I want to get to know them...why they act the way they do...and what led them to be in the cage together. This is a good, meaty story and I couldn't put it down.

[Tai Nelson-Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tormented is a hot and crazy love story between to people that should never be. I love Jade Lakotesh's character. She is feisty and knows what she wants. Jade is an assassin for the Council and is sent to the planet to do something she is not sure should be done. So over the book, Jade meets people and becomes attached to Ryker and finds that not all is right and true on New Earth and with the Council.

Ryker is second in command and friends with Hunter from the last book. He is sent on a mission and finds Jade on the same purpose. These two are instant chemistry and totally mouthy to each other. I loved it.

I really couldn't put this story down and was sad to see it end.

[Mary Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flat-out loved the hero and heroine in this book. Jade and Ryker are just amazing; not only in who they are and how they interact at the start of Tormented, but in how they grow and evolve over the course of this book.

Tormented has both action and angst in equal measures. Aimes has built a fascinating and multi-faceted world in her prison planet, and it’s a tough one. Brutal things happen both by and to the characters, and I loved that so many of the characters were very well rounded: heroic people had moments of failure, and villainous people had moments of great kindness and sacrifice.

Jade and Ryker are both strong protagonists, and he in particular has challenging baggage to address in the loss of his wife and family. Jade is an assassin, and her growth over the course of this book from unfeeling messenger to involved and committed not only to Ryker but also to a larger society was fantastic.

This is an enemies-to-lovers saga, and it’s such fun to see the one-upsmanship games that Jade and Ryker have with another over the course of Tormented. I enjoyed seeing how their love didn’t weaken their respect for one another’s abilities, and how they worked together to address their difficulties.

A continuing series thread of a truly vicious gang on the prison planet Dragath25 is a focal point of this story, and Aimes moves this forward well while teasing us with hints of future activity in this world and the evolution of a planetary colony, as well as the duplicity of the ruling Council.

Tormented is a strong addition to an already rich and rewarding series. It also works well as a stand-alone. If you enjoy romantic suspense and the struggle of prison-planet romances like Emmy Chandler’s, you’ll love Tormented and Aimes’ earlier romances set on this rich and terrifying prison planet.

[Cara Bristol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jade is a Council assassin sent to a prison planet to retrieve a weapon of mass destruction. Ryker, an ex-Resistance member whose family was killed by the Council, also wants that weapon. Jade and Ryker are natural enemies who have more in common than they realize.

Tormented is a fast-paced, high action, steamy romance with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Buckle up & get ready for a great read.

[Kristiej · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tore through, Trapped the first book I read by this author, which was the second book in the series. I loved and no question it was an A from this reader and one of the best I’ve read this year. So of course I had to read more and that led me to Tormented, the 3rd book. I didn’t think it could possibly as good though I had high hopes I’d really enjoy it. Guess what? It is as good as Trapped and I was just as caught up on this book as I was in the last.

Ryker, our hero, was in the previous book as second in command. He’s very bitter as the Coalition was responsible for the death of his wife and unborn son in a most horrific way which he was forced to watch. At the end of the previous book we got the sense that he was going to leave the newfound settlement because of his issues.

The book opens with him still on Drgath25. He’s been planning on leaving but something even more important to the safety of the settlement has come up and he and a fellow warrior are trying to track down a deadly weapon the criminal element has, that will cause immense destruction in the wrong hands.

At the beginning he’s trapped with a woman in a cage, a woman he plans to destroy. The book then goes back to introduce Jade, our heroine. Turns out she’s a Coalition assassin sent for the same thing, the gun. Only she has been sent to get it and return to New Earth within a set time limit. As Ryker is in the Resistance, his makes Ryker and Jade mortal enemies. We met Ryker in the previous book so we know a little bit about him and now we get to know Jade. She is an AMAZING heroine. She has been raised almost all her like to be nothing more than a killing tool. All emotion has been beaten out of her and she buys the Coalitions spin completely. She is under a deadline as if she doesn’t get the gun back in a certain time, she has an implanted device that will explode.
While at first Ryker and Jade battle each other, they slowly realize that they will get more accomplished if they work together. As they do, Ryker shares with Jade that everything she has been taught about the Coalition is a lie and they are evil. It takes a while before she slowly starts to believe him. And while they are working together, they begin to see a different side. Although Jade has been lied to, her primary focus is on helping, she was just pointed in the wrong direction. And she realizes that there is so much more to Ryker than just a warrior. She sees in him a great deal of pain and guilt. And as they begin to see more in each other, they are drawn more and more together. Seeing Jade go through this transformation is especially great reading as she has never had a friend, never had anyone she’s been close to.

I’m not going to give any more of the story away except to say this is another fast paced, edge of your seat race to save humanity. Together they battle the terrorizing inmates, her limited amount of time and his search for his friend and partner. I was holding my breath through much of the book. The romance is first rate and it seems they will never get their HEA. The character development is great and the world building is absolutely top notch. I love this book and I was elated to see the author has more planned in this fascinating series. I think it would work well as a stand-alone but I still recommend on reading at least Taken. This is another Very Well Deserved 5 star book and an excellent example of why I love this genre.

[Joyffree · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We're each other's always exception. "
Jade was here for two reasons -
The first two acquire the weapon 223 had developed. The second to wipe out once and for all the putrid scourge that inhabited Dragath25.
She was one of the Councils elite assassins. Conditioned to overcome any obstacles to complete her assignment or face execution. She had a perfect record. Until now.
Captured, (only temporally mind you) she had to play nice with her cellie if she was to acquire her freedom and complete her mission. She had learned long ago that emotions only caused pain so why was this felon causing her chest to ache? Watching the emotionally void Jade slowly melt was a wonder to behold. As everything she was taught to believe was slowly disproved she found she kind of liked that ache in her chest. That need in his eyes.
Ryker couldn't believe the council scum had sent a female to Dragath25. Worse he was trapped with her and if he wanted to escape he would have to work with her. An assassin. A soldier. Sexy, deadly and such a turn on.
I was looking forward to watching Ryker fall to the clutches of love. He was in a downward spiral after the loss of his family, Eat. Kill. Survive. He really did not have much beyond his pain and anger.
They were so much alike. Both were void of true emotions (or so they thought) and pretty much lived to follow orders and destroy things.

In Tormented we learned a bit more about the Council and we got some insight into 223. IMO this had a touch more suspense than the previous two. I also felt that some foundation was set for future stories. As for Ryker and Jade, these two are explosive together. Both emotionally and physically they bring the heat in this story to a whole new level. There are some new characters introduced and some old ones were lost. I am looking forward to seeing what is happening back at the compound and with the rest of the squad.

[Brigitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW... here is a story that most certainly makes you read the whole thing through preferably without stopping. It has excitement in spades and more or less it has all needed for a great story. The storyline is so good and the characters are phenominal. Overall this story is just absolutely fantastic and the only thing I can do is applaud the author for these writings.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[🅙𝔲𝔩𝔷]

DNF 77% couldn’t maintain interest in the story

[RoseyLovesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ex-Resistance fighter Walsh Ryker is on a mission to retrieve a lethal and advanced weapon from 223's gang when he ends up imprisoned in a cage with the gorgeous Jade. Too bad she's Council. Council assassin Jade Lakotesh has been instructed from childhood to root out all emotion, but the handsome Walsh's presence makes it clear that Jade's detachment is far from perfect. What happens when Walsh and Jade have to team up to escape and steal the weapon from 223?

Tormented is an action-packed, suspenseful and steamy story full of twists and turns that will have you turning pages non-stop. I can't wait to read Tamed, Book 4 in the Condemned series.

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The First Cut🔪 Is the Deepest
In this third book of series📚, Ryker🐺🍆🌋🔪🔫, the huge, tough and handsome Resistance fighter, has escaped from the mines to the surface of the prison planet, Dragath25🌍.
The increasingly corrupt council has also been using the planet as a dumping ground for the those who oppose them.

Ryker🐺🍆🌋🔪🔫 has found a very dangerous weapon of mass destruction on the planet🌍.
Jade💃💋🔪🔫, an assassin and agent sent by the council to retrieve the weapon, gets in a knockdown drag out fight with Ryker🐺🍆🌋🔪🔫. Then they are both captured and imprisoned by gang leader 223👺, once employed by The Council himself as a scientist.

223's👺 goal is to repair a shuttle craft and take the weapon to New Earth, and destroy💥 the planet🌍 and everyone on it. Jade's💃🔪🔫 goal is to stop him, and she will need the cooperation of Ryker🐺🍆🌋🔪🔫 to succeed.


ARC Received from Booksprout🌱
This book was $2.99 on Amazon at the time of this review.
The Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The book is first of all a great sci-fi adventure, and secondly a wonderful hate😠 to love💘romance.

[Bo0kSLoth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect, having not read any of the other books in this series. I must say I was pleased with book. It is a stand-alone in the series enough that I'm not completely lost as to what is going on. The world-building is done well, as is the character development throughout the story. It is very believable, to me, that to 2 characters can come to have such extreme feelings for one another in such a short time based upon the emotions and situations that author portrays in the book. They seem real enough for the emotions to ring true (though the setting in on an alien planet). Don't get me wrong, I hate books that try to force feelings and situations into short timeframe to suit a plot, but that doesn't feel the case in this book. I look forward to read the other books in this series, if this is an example

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 3 to The Condemned series and I absolutely loved it. I missed book 1 of this series but it doesn’t matter too much because these books can be read as standalones, they are dark stories but then the prison planet of Dragath 25 is no playground it’s where the tough rule and the weak have no chance of survival and this is the story of Ryker and Jade. Jade is an assassin for the Council she’s tough but she doesn’t trust anyone but herself, Ryker is an ex resistance fighter who lost his wife and family. Both end up in a cage together but they need to learn to work together to escape but they don’t make it easy on the other. Sorry guys I’m not going to get too much into this story but I will say that it’s an amazing story and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.

[Hanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Aimes is a new to me author.
Tormented is the first book I’ve read by her.
I’d didn’t realize that this book is part of a series.
But I had no problems understanding and keeping up with everything.
I wish I would have read the first book though to get more background and info.
I liked Ryker and Jade.
I thought they complimented and completed each other perfectly.
They were opposite one another but they fit together.
I appreciated how the author had them grow and expand.
They didn’t stay stagnant.
They learned from each other and drew on the strengths each one of them possessed.
This book is filled with action and adventure.
With a whole lot os sizzling hotness in between.
I looking forward to read the next book in the series.

[Ähmsry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The psychological vulnerability of physically stronger people is at the centre of the story and is wonderfully processed in an atmospherically densely woven story.
Deep feelings, bottomless fears and the courage to leave your box and dare to do something new make the characters realistic and lovable heroes. All this never intrusive but never too easy.
Tension and action keep the reader captivated. The world design is again unfriendly with beautiful, hidden corners, the real opponents are dark, sinister, mean and terrible people, who perform and plan horrible deeds.

As in previous books, a great overall scenario with a great story. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[JML · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryker &Jade

Omg 😍this was sooooo damn good!💖💖 we met Ryker in the last book and I wanted to smack him upside the head on more than one occasion! In this story I wanted to hold him and make sure nothing else bad ever happened to him. Jade a council assassin and the best badass woman character I've read about I. A very !not time. She was train to hide her feeling Nd bury them so they don't see the light of day. My heart broke for both of these fantastic characters and their past stories. Together they forge a partnership that will heal and free both of them with nothing but love and acceptance. Highly recommend!💖💖

[book_bae7 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rating: 1/5

Tormented is the third book in The Condemned series by Alison Aimes. I'd thoroughly enjoyed the first two instalments so was looking forward to this one, especially when I saw that Ryker would be the MMC. We first met Ryker in book 2, Taken, where he's introduced as Valdus' second in command. At first off-putting and abrasive, we eventually learn he's been deeply traumatised and tormented (hah) by a brutal, tragic past that culminated in his imprisonment on Dragath25 with his team. Given his backstory, I was very excited to follow his story, especially when I saw he was being paired with a badass ice queen assassin. Unfortunately, this book did not deliver the delicious enemies-to-lovers story I was hoping for.

I found the character work poor, mostly in respect of Jade since we already had the benefit of seeing Ryker in the previous book. Jade was taken as an orphaned child and tortured / trained into a lethal assassin, and we're meant to believe that she's been deeply indoctrinated into believing she's serving the greater good, which is her singular purpose for soldiering on despite her bleak, lonely existence. The problem is we see basically none of it apart from one or two brief mentions. All it takes is a few prisoners - people she believes are criminals of the worst order - telling her of the Council's abuse, and she switches sides immediately. It's far too easy - there is no struggle or internal conflict at having to confront a reality that is fundamentally different from what she's believed since she was a child. It makes it hard to believe that she truly believed the Council was working for the greater good, which strips any credence from the assertion that she thought her work - bloody and brutal - was for a good cause. Even the aftermath is poorly dealt with because we're told she feels guilt and torment but we barely see it apart from on one or two instances.

The speed with which she and Ryker get together also felt ridiculous. I get that this is a high heat novel, but come on! Ryker's entire life was destroyed because of the Council, his pregnant wife subjected to rape and torture before she was murdered on their orders to punish him. But somehow, he's going to sleep with one of their pet assassins pretty much hours after meeting her, even while she's still fully intending to finish the job they sent her to do? And from there, it's a hop, skip and a jump to him being fully in love with her. Within a day. One. Day.

In fact, the entire plot felt like a chaotic mish-mash of scenes where characters act illogically and contrary to what we've been told of them. It doesn't help that the prose is awkward and the dialogue is clunky. There are multiple info dumps which are clearly just that - info dumps. Jade is meant to be an acerbic, emotionless ice queen but ends up just coming across as socially awkward. Ryker's past trauma makes him emotionless and unfeeling to the point where he had no compunction being violent with Jade during their first encounter, even when he believed her to be a helpless woman, but then in the very next encounter (when he knows she's a Council assassin), he's actively protecting her and wanting to team up together? I get it, he's a hero, but if you're going to describe him as this embittered, disillusioned man, angry at the world, then at least let there be a journey we go on.

The cherry on top was the conflict in the third act. This is a HUGE spoiler so if you still intend to read this book for some reason, stop here. We learn in the third act, after Jade and Ryker have committed to entering into a relationship, that Ryker's wife and child might actually be alive and on Dragath25. Reintroducing a dead wife and child is a plot twist that needs finesse to successfully pull off, and there was absolutely none here. In fact, Ryker's best friend, Griff - who's meant to be the better one of them - says it's unfair, because Ryker had finally found happiness with Jade. I beg your finest pardon??? So you're telling me his wife and child might have been stuck on Dragath25, being tortured, raped, used as slave labour, but the main issue is that they now pose an inconvenience to Ryker and Jade being together? WILD choice. WILD. I was pretty much done at the point and fully emotionally checked out, which was a good thing because it gets worse. After spending a few pages mining this clusterf*ck of a sub-plot for cheap angst, Ryker tells Jade that they're going to be together anyway and he'll always love her. Ok. Honestly I wouldn't have been too sad if he and Griff didn't survive their mission at that point. Jade was less infuriating because she never tried to convince Ryker to stay with her, but the way this was done made it clear that this was because Aimes wanted her to come across as noble, self-sacrificing, selfless, so we'd root for her. It didn't work obviously. Especially because, guess what, his wife and child actually did die all those years ago. So not only was this an unnecessary plot line that added nothing to the story, it actually made the book worse. I didn't care what happened to anyone but the slaves they were trying to free at this point.

Terribly, terribly disappointing read. Do not recommend. Go read the Ruthless Warlords series by Aimes instead. It starts off a little shaky but steadily improves, and none of the MMCs in those books show anything near the stunning insensitivity and sheer audacity that we see in this one.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great fast packed enthralling love and hate story

"Tormented" begins as Ryker, member of the resistance, sent to mine for ore beneath Dragath25, having recently escaped the mines with his teammates is searching for a weapon that prisoner and ex-council scientist 223 has that he plans to destroy much of New Earth with.

He finds the weapon, but unfortunately it is already in the hands of the deadly, desirable, council assassin Jade Lakotesh. A fight ensues, but during their conflict they are captured by 223's men and thrown into an old transport hold, chained ready to be raped, beaten and used by 223 and his men.

As Ryker and Jade - 'felon' and 'assassin' have to come together - in every sense of the word - to defeat 223 and get hold of the weapon, and whilst looking out for captives they manage to free, they have to fight equal measures of love and hate, lust and loathing.

You'll have to read the book to find out which emotions win and which side becomes victor...

Tormented, whilst a stand-alone book, is the third book in the Condemned series, and I would recommend you read them all n order of you can - to get a good background of both Dragath25 and Valdus, Ryker, and Grif as well as the introduction of these men through Ava, whom we first meet in Trapped when Bella and Caine tell their story.

I am fast becoming a number 1 fan of Alison's. Her command of the English language and manipulation of those words in her books have me laughing even as tears are welling in my eyes. She has such a beautiful way of saying things so you truly feel the emotions of these very believable alpha men and heroic women.

Such is her way with words that I could almost feel the rocks and debris as these brave souls were trudging through the harsh, barren landscape. If you tried just a little bit you can smell the fear on the captives, feel and smell the dry, red rock as it works its way into every crevice, tainting your skin the colour of rust and blood.

You can certainly feel the emotions of fear, hatred, rage, lust, love and lost that Alison portrays so well.

I never thought I'd be into romance books, whether presented on Earth or indeed Dragath25, but Alison has converted me and I'm now an eager and willing participant.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alison for her incredible imagination and willingness to put her mind to work to allow us the chance to escape to a different world with such warm and wonderful companions.

Lastly this is a very descriptive romance novel so anyone who does not like such terms when they read would probably not like this kind of book. However, having said that, this is so well written and the storyline so strong that it is still worth reading to see if you can flick past any romantic notions you don't care to read.

For the sake of not wanting to be tarred and feathered, I will point out that because of the nature of the book, some might like to classify it as an 18+, I just think it is up to the reader to decide if they want to read -or buy it for someone not quite that age yet.

[Devon Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was not my favorite...and I might take a break from reading these just because the men are all starting to sound the same. AA does a great job writing different women, and Jade was a very interesting character but I seriously think she deserves better than Ryker 🤷🏻‍♀️

She also deserved more to her backstory...and I don’t believe some flowery words and brave acts would be all she needed to suddenly fall in loooooooove.

Grif sounds interesting so I may go ahead and read his story....don’t get me wrong, I enjoy these books despite their flaws. A few editing errors, the occasional plot hole or error in continuity, and the purple prose spouted off by these supposedly rugged warriors can be a little distracting sometimes but it’s all part of the fun. It’s like watching any action movie...you suspend disbelief and go along for the cheap thrills.

But, because Ryker basically sounds just like the last two main guys I just didn’t feel a real connection between him and Jade. It felt very forced. Even the steamy scenes were lukewarm at best...maybe I just need to take a break and go read something different for a minute before coming back to this.

I also notice AA throws a lot of rape around as a torture/shock value type thing but she never really deals with the consequences of it. In her world, you get raped and then just carry about your day. You have no intimacy issues or PTSD or anything. Easy peasy. I’m not asking for a therapist to move to the planet to help everyone cope, but some acknowledgement of the trauma might be nice. Especially from the men? Not saying it’s easy for women, but last I checked big, strong, burly dudes don’t take too kindly to being sexually assaulted by other guys. 🤷🏻‍♀️ (this is not a spoiler...Ryker wasn’t raped or anything...it just seems background characters are always getting it, doesn’t it?)

Anyway, still enjoying the series...still like the author. Looking forward to Grif’s story but I may just wait a minute to let the dust settle...maybe then he’ll be sure to sound like a different guy.