Years of Silence

by J.K. Jones

Three friends. Two lies. One truth.

Silence can be deafening. Billionaire Tycoon Zander Wright is no stranger to loneliness.

However, what happens when his friend turned enemy comes back?

Knowing Vadim is like dancing the space between heaven and hell. The ocean and inch between ecstasy and misery. Like all things long since forgotten, young love always remains the most crippling of pain.

Zander Wright is aware of this. He’s felt the fatal blow of being love-struck—bludgeoned violently over the head with the taste and feel of utopia in his arms and in his bed.

Vadim Oblonsky will always be the one thing he wants, but can never have.

Just like Petyr Yahontov will always be the one thing standing in his way. A dangerous man, with a sweet dimpled grin that has connections to the Russian mafia.

Petyr wasn't supposed to take it this far. Now, someone in his inner circle wants him dead. Zander didn't start this. He didn't want any part of it.

But he will be damned if he doesn't finish it.

Extremely Dark MM Romance: Floral Horror

Genres: Audiobook, Dark, M M Romance, LGBT

350 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 30, 2020

About the author

I am a passionate storyteller, with a love for literature that runs deep in my veins. I enjoy weaving elements of the artistic and unconventional into my tales, which I tell both during the day and at night. My ideal Sunday is spent indulging in a steaming cup of coffee and immersing myself in the pages of the book I am currently captivated by. My all-time favorite movie is American Beauty, and I consider it a classic. My fondest memories are of the fort I built in my basement, which unfortunately had to be dismantled at the request of my mother. My favorite food is Cheetos Puffs, and while I understand the appeal of crunchy Cheetos, I prefer the texture of the puffs. I do not subscribe to the belief in a "Happily Ever After" ending, but I am open to the possibility if circumstances permit.

Reviews

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.25 stars

Years of Silence is a dark, heavy book that spans years in the lives of Zander, Vadim, and Petyr. When we first meet Zander, it’s as a high profile defense lawyer and the emotion raging through him is clear and visible. His work takes over his life and, even though he is an adult, his adoptive father still controls every aspect of his life. The book is told with scenes from the past and the present and we get caught up in Zander’s life with a then and now aspect to it, as the timelines come together and overlap.

The writing here is prosey and soft, even given the harsher themes depicted. There is a good story here, but the structure of it made it difficult to get to that story. The book is long at close to 400 pages and I could have used a stronger edit in many areas.

Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.

[Shelba · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 28%.

The cover is gorgeous, and what caught my eye.

The story is intriguing.

But the author seems so focused on the writing being pretty, that the execution is sloppy.

A bunch of typos… missing capitals, missing words, the wrong word altogether (concert instead on concrete). Time lines that don’t make sense… how can Vadim have only had been out for a few days after weeks having gone by? And is New York ‘90 the present day, or is it 15 years ago in the orphanage?

The writing, if read line by line, paints a pretty picture. Taken as a whole, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and needed at least one more round of editing

[M'rella · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book another chance, but the outcome is the same, unfortunately.
DNF at around 40%. 1 star.

The writing is windy and in dire need of editing, top it off with Present Tense narrative which is not only unnecessary, but is also confusing and misleading where timelines are concerned. I can't give this book anything more than 1 star.

[Giselle]

ARCs can be requested here: https://forms.gle/YegiYeCK34G431zb9

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/15/2021)! 🎁

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨4.5 stars ✨

So, where do I start from?
I guess I know it, from the top of the cover—

"Three friends, two lies, one truth."

That is exactly what this book is, and to be honest it would a crime for me to spoil this book.

Trust me, you need to read nothing more than the blurb before reading the book— no reviews, no recommendations because this is one of those books that can be experienced best by diving blind into it.

So, the story revolves around three friends Zander, Vadim and Peryr, or maybe, that’s not exactly true because there is a lot going on in this book and by the time you reach the last 5% of it, you won’t even know what is what anymore.

I have never read floral horror, so this was a new reading experience for me. I generally don’t read fantasy or magical realism but I felt comfortable reading this. Its more like a psychological thriller, and a kinda psychological thriller that’ll flip your head.

There is a lot I want to talk about this book, there are a lot of questions I have that I know will be left unanswered and I know I’ll think about it for a long time.

I had read Weeps Indigo and Cage the night by the same author and I was enchanted by how original her writing style was, her metaphorical use provides the reader with a new perception of the characters thoughts and emotions. And her writing held the same power in this book as well and I wasn’t disappointed. As far as I’m concerned about the writing, it couldn’t have got any better. Her writing just adds an whole new dimension to all the events that took place.

The descriptions and information given were right on point to build the right amount of uncertainty and thrill throughout the book.


 "Zander recalls these images not to relive them. But to dance the space between heaven and hell. The ocean is an inch between ecstasy and misery. Like all things long since forgotten, young love always remains the most crippling of pain."

To put it short, the writing was down right brilliant.

The book is written through Zander and Vadim's pov in narrative form which helped me get to know the characters better, but there really wasn’t much I knew about the other characters like— Garrett, Carlisle, Maria etc— which was one side gave the book a really good mysterious aura but on the other side, I wish I knew them better, especially Petyr.

Oh Petyr. I won’t talk much about him. The only thing I want to ask him is "why?" It could have been easier, a lot easier.

I cant talk much about the plot, but it is heavy, heavy on emotions, and the roller coaster rides the main characters went through... was intense.

Now that I have completed the book, the subject mentioned in book were approached after good research but there were a few parts where the plot was a little messy.

My favorite part of the book was where the characters met in their childhood. Reading about how their friendship blossomed made me feel very good. It makes me feel sad now to think about how things changed later on.

But it was all worth it, reading about all their problems, insecurities, pleasures... it was beautiful.

And talking about the romance between the main characters, they cared for each other deeply right since they were friends and the growth of their love was organic, it was really nice slow burn.
And sliw burns are one of my favorites.

"Zander finds himself lost, the expression on Vadim's face is unfathomably restful, as if he could live his entire life in this moment alone. He is beautiful in a way that shouldn’t exist. Uncanny and stunning in every shape or form, from his cool personality to his easy smiles that grace his lips. There is something poetic about his features, something that Zander can never name, just always at the tip of his tongue."

I was so invested in the plot that I didn’t really get give much thought to all hot scenes but I can say that they were also written pretty well. I felt relieved when they got to gather.

The last 10% of the book... its the best part of the book but I’m not talking about it. You will have to read the book to know what I’m talking about.

If you liked watching the academy winning movie Parasitie, you will LOVE reading this book coz it give out similar kinda of vibe and the floral horror made it even better.

And the title years of silence is so fitting! Some things are better said than unsaid.

So I’m saying it, this book deserves a lot more recognition, you shouldn’t be silent about it.

I TOTALLY RECOMMEND IT.

Received an arc copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Chris Fors · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the get go of the book it just went from good to better. Fast pace and thrilling. Unfortunately the book ended way to fast and I can't way to read the sequel. Don't miss this well written book with a different story. Naturally for a suspens book there are hitmen and murders, and the main character Zander Wright seems to be the target which means I want to know what happened next.

This is the first book I read from this writer but it won't be the last.

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot and can usually figure out what is going to happen in a book but with this one I had no idea. This is an excellent but very very dark psychological thriller with more twists and turns and up and downs than the biggest rollercoaster that you have ever been on. I was drawn in, fascinated, repelled, electrified and by the end of the book amazed but the depth of the writing.
There are trigger warnings aplenty but if you like dark mm relationship stories then take a chance on this one.

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

[Jerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. Unique, dark plot, with murder, mafia, and mental illness. I enjoyed the story itself quite a bit, even if it was sometimes difficult to keep track of whether you reading of the present or the past.
I’m reading an ARC copy, so I’m presuming that the grammatical errors will be edited out before release.

[Love Bytes Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Kaylin

What happens when a billionaire adopts you? Zander was given everything, and his adoptive father expected a tough lapdog in return. Someone is also out to kill Zander, and the only man he trusts to keep him safe is about to be released from prison – Vadim – the love of Zander’s life. Not that Vadim knows that – all he sees is the man who put him behind bars.

If your thoughts after the above paragraph are WTF, then yayyyy – welcome to the world of psychological thrillers. Take note of the tags at the bottom of the blurb. The story is all that and more. So, if you are on the fence after reading the synopsis, and decide to go for it, this may be a marmite read. You’ll either be hooked on thrillers or go hell no. Regardless, this is a story that – once you start reading – you have to continue to the end, or the result will bug you for months.

Set in New York with references to Russia and uses of the language – Years of Silence is told in the third person from Zander and Vadim’s viewpoints. The copy I received for review said ‘Final Edits’. Whether this meant there were edits to be done or the final edited version, I’m not sure. However, I will give the manuscript the benefit of the doubt and say it was not the final version because I found quite a few grammatical errors. There is plenty of well-written imagery that gave me no way out of some scenes. There is violence, brutality, blood, and more, alongside the heartbreaking journey of the characters. No one is clean or deserves a halo, and it was refreshing to read a story with such flawed human beings. Some were simply bad. Others were victims of circumstance.

Zander is a billionaire defense attorney who can get anyone off the hook – guilty or not. He is the product of a callous orphanage system where most of its guests were more feral than organized. While there, he befriends Vadim and Petyr. One way or another, the three are separated, and as the blurb suggests, they find each other again, later in life.

The book is filled with snippets of clues that only make sense later, and not everyone has all their marbles, so some aspects are skewed – or are they? Kudos to the author, who does not hold back on the dark side of life, to the point where some scenes were tough to read and others that made me cry, giving credence to the psychological side of the story.

While reading the circumstances – who was like what, and why – changed my viewpoint of the people. When rape, prostitution, the mafia, murder, explosives, and soulfully ugly people form your life circle, a person is hard-pressed to be anything different. But try, they do.

I think one must have a passion for this genre of story and have the ability to compartmentalize – if you do, this will be a must-read. I picked it up due to the blurb, which gives some warnings, but, for me, not enough. I appreciate how cleverly constructed the story is, with twists and turns to the end, and I’m glad I finished it. But some brutal situations were too much for my relaxing reading tastes.

In the end, the question I had, was, did the end justify the means, and the answer will differ from person to person. Also, some aspects were left unanswered, and to my knowledge, there isn’t a follow-up

Due to the intricacies of the story arc, and that the nature of a psychological thriller is supposed to leave a person disturbed, which I was, I have given it four hearts, which is a recommended read. Like I said – marmite.

[Maryann Kafka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zander Wright is a high profile defense attorney and co-founder of Z&G Law Firm Inc. As a young, successful, afro-american you would think he he had the best of both worlds. He was adopted by the wealthy Carlisle Wright, who gave him all the opportunities, but they came with a very high price. Zander has never felt like the Wrights were a true family for him, he wanted his real family and that was to be with Vadim Oblonsky and Petyr Yahnotov.

Vadim Oblonsky, Zander Wright, and Petyr Yahnotov all met as young boys at the Orphanage. Vadim and Zander had never known who their parents were. They both became good friends, Vadim taught Zander Russian and in-turn Zander taught Vadim how to read English. Petyr became friends with the boy’s as he spent time at the Orphanage because of his mother, Maria. All seems good with the trio as being friends, until a misunderstanding that seems to cause a tragedy. Eventually when Zander is adopted a bigger divide is created in this once precious friendship.

Vadim has been in prison for three years and not a word from Zander. Now, Zander has come to get Vadim released he needs his help as someone is attempting to kill him. There’s great animosity from Vadim, he eventually agrees to help Zander but once Zander is safe he will leave for good.

The pressure from a high profile case, Carlisle, sabbotage, conflict with Vadim, the continuing threat of death, and Petyr causes Zanders own psychological issue to become worse.

First time read for me, and I was not disappointed. J.K. Jones is outstanding at creating this complex, well written, highly suspenseful, dark theme, psychological thriller, mystery, with twists, lies and betrayal. It’s highly emotional, and looks deeply at friendships, love, jealousy, and corruption. The author digs deep into: Zander, Vadim and Petyr lives as young boys. Zander is especially focused on with the pressure of a home life that’s verbally and mentally abusive. Also, his memories that take him back to streets and orphanage where that life was more secure for him with Vadim.

Vadim also has a revelation as he looks deeply into himself and realizes how much Zander has struggled with his own psychological issues.

“Years of Silence” was very intriguing and a page-turner, I was so impressed that it made me curious about J.K. Jones’ “A Fall from Grace” series. I plan to invest some time and start reading this series.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suppose if you are widely read in the horror genre, you might be able to predict some of the things in this book, but if not, I can virtually guarantee that if you think you know what is going to happen be prepared to be wrong. I come to this as a reader of cozy mysteries and m/m romance, lol, so I was not sure exactly what I was getting into other than that it was going to be dark but I was willing to let the author take me wherever they wanted to go. I can only say the author's writing style grabbed me from the first chapter, drew me into the dream/nightmare and didn't let me go until I finished the last page both enervated and limp as a wet rag. You can't really say too much about the plot as that would spoil things, just read the blurb and if that intrigues you in any way go for it. If you are familiar with certain reviewing sites, you click on choices for descriptors of the book. I don't think I've ever clicked quite this set of descriptor phrases for any other book I've read.

[Elin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intense book, with Zanders issues and the friendship between him, Petyr and Vadim.
It's a new author to me, and I had no idea what I could expect as I started reading it, but I like the story, the gritty reality they live in, filled with jealousy, anger and love.
The writing style took a bit to get used to, I liked that the topics seemed well researched, it gives a more realistic feel where it's needed.
My only issue was the mix up with ages and numbers along with some of the grammar. It made the story more confusing than it needed to be.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a weird book

I thought it started out ok, until I got to about the 5th chapter. I didn't really know what was happening. The sex between the 2 friend's started and I didn't know what to think. Everything happened and went. It was sad when the kittens died. It was surely a set up. At the end it ended quite well, I guess you could say they're 2 half brothers all along. I would of never known.

[Sheila Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vengeance is mine

This truly is a remarkable story that encompasses nearly the lifetime of three orphans. Every page grabs your emotions and twists, turns and batters them a bit till your teeth are clenched and you are panting from exhaustion. Expect the unexpected!