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Dark Maji #5
Long Live the Soulless
She died protecting the man she loved. She died by his hands. And on that blood soaked grave, vengeance grew.
Quinn Darkova leads a listless existence in the dark realm. As honored guest and beloved by Mazzulah, she wants for nothing. But when Risk enters the realm to save her, the dark god can’t resist a good bargain.
Lazarus is not the man he once was. Consumed by his own grief, he’s a beast whose sole motivation in life is getting revenge on the man who took Quinn from him.
Fate isn’t done with either of them.
There’s still one game left to play.
Winner takes all, and no matter the victor, the Sirian continent will never be the same again.
This is the fifth and final book in the Dark Maji series. This series must be read in order.
Quinn Darkova leads a listless existence in the dark realm. As honored guest and beloved by Mazzulah, she wants for nothing. But when Risk enters the realm to save her, the dark god can’t resist a good bargain.
Lazarus is not the man he once was. Consumed by his own grief, he’s a beast whose sole motivation in life is getting revenge on the man who took Quinn from him.
Fate isn’t done with either of them.
There’s still one game left to play.
Winner takes all, and no matter the victor, the Sirian continent will never be the same again.
This is the fifth and final book in the Dark Maji series. This series must be read in order.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2020
259 people are currently reading
2086 people want to read
About the author
Kel Carpenter
69 books2,164 followersKel Carpenter is a master of werdz. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s traveling the world, lovingly pestering her co-author, and spending time with her family. She is always on the search for good tacos and the best pizza. She resides in Maryland and desperately tries to avoid the traffic.
For subrights or media and film inquiries, please reach out to kel@kelcarpenter.com.
For subrights or media and film inquiries, please reach out to kel@kelcarpenter.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
December 16, 2020
“Desperation breeds the best and the worst in us. For when there is no choice but to try, you will give it everything. For better or for worse.”
A satisfying end to a delightfully, wicked series!
Quinn
“A wise woman once said that if you love someone, bring them the heads of their enemies.”
I must say I have adored Quinn since the very beginning. She has absolutely no problem making the tough choices, and she babies no one. Quinn knows what she wants and makes no apologies about being exactly who she is. What you see is what you get.
Lazarus
“There is nothing so thrilling or intense as loving a dangerous woman. When you don’t know if she will kiss you or try to kill you, it’s a love that weak men do not survive, and strong men would give anything to hold on to.”
It's as some people have said, there is something so compelling about a book in which the main love interest is a villain and/or at least morally gray. Such is the case with this series. Lazarus is not your run of the mill good man. He is also not necessarily bad. But he can be. He can kill and destroy with the best of them, namely Quinn, but he is not so unreasonable that he goes around doing it without reason.
Risk
Lots of character growth and I love it.
Vaughn
Our precious boy deserved better and I am mad as hell that even by the end of the book they never found a solution that saved him. I wanted him to get his happy ending with his Little Pirate!
*Detailed review to come*
A satisfying end to a delightfully, wicked series!
Quinn
“A wise woman once said that if you love someone, bring them the heads of their enemies.”
I must say I have adored Quinn since the very beginning. She has absolutely no problem making the tough choices, and she babies no one. Quinn knows what she wants and makes no apologies about being exactly who she is. What you see is what you get.
Lazarus
“There is nothing so thrilling or intense as loving a dangerous woman. When you don’t know if she will kiss you or try to kill you, it’s a love that weak men do not survive, and strong men would give anything to hold on to.”
It's as some people have said, there is something so compelling about a book in which the main love interest is a villain and/or at least morally gray. Such is the case with this series. Lazarus is not your run of the mill good man. He is also not necessarily bad. But he can be. He can kill and destroy with the best of them, namely Quinn, but he is not so unreasonable that he goes around doing it without reason.
Risk
Lots of character growth and I love it.
Vaughn
Our precious boy deserved better and I am mad as hell that even by the end of the book they never found a solution that saved him. I wanted him to get his happy ending with his Little Pirate!
*Detailed review to come*
June 30, 2020
***I received this ARC courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review***
4.5 stars
If you're anything like me, you've been waiting with bated breath for this book's release, if you have not then you obviously have a more interesting life than I do. After reading book four, I literally went on FB to stalk the author into getting this arc.
Quinn is my spirit animal. I absolutely love her. She was vicious and took disrespect from no one. How do you intimidate someone that feels no fear, you can't and that's why Quinn was glorious.
Lazarus was equally nice. I liked that he was not afraid to show his emotions. I didn't much care for the POVs of Mariska, Nero and Draven. I could have even done without Lazarus, that's how much I love Quinn.
The little quotes at the beginning of each chapter was cute as well. I am adding this book to my re-read folder even though I've probably reread book one like three times already.
Totally recommend.
4.5 stars
If you're anything like me, you've been waiting with bated breath for this book's release, if you have not then you obviously have a more interesting life than I do. After reading book four, I literally went on FB to stalk the author into getting this arc.
Quinn is my spirit animal. I absolutely love her. She was vicious and took disrespect from no one. How do you intimidate someone that feels no fear, you can't and that's why Quinn was glorious.
Lazarus was equally nice. I liked that he was not afraid to show his emotions. I didn't much care for the POVs of Mariska, Nero and Draven. I could have even done without Lazarus, that's how much I love Quinn.
The little quotes at the beginning of each chapter was cute as well. I am adding this book to my re-read folder even though I've probably reread book one like three times already.
Totally recommend.
October 18, 2021
4.75 stars.
I found this author a couple years ago, I was interesting with her books until I found out it was a reverse harem series, yeah NO! I don’t care how good her books was, I won’t touch them!
However, later on one of my friend here gave a high rating for her books, and I thought she wouldn’t read RH either, I was curious and checking out her books again.
And I was glad to do that, because if not, I would miss this fabulous series.
I couldn’t stop until I’ve read all the book in the series, it has a fantastic heroine ❤️.
Quinn changing was amazing, probably this part can sum up what this series all about,
“Now you’re ready.”
She turned to look in the mirror, and the woman that looked back didn’t look like a slave, or a hand, or even a queen—though Lazarus clearly modeled her head piece after a crown.
She looked like a god.
A deity so great that men would quake in fear as she walked.
Immortal and inhuman.
Powerful.
Then she smiled because Lorraine was right. She was ready.
If you love a story about revenge and war with slow burn romance, where the hero who does the begging! Hah 😳😘😂, this was a series for you 😍.
Quinn wasn’t cruel, eventhought she has no qualms killed hundreds of thousands army in a war 😳.
I didn’t surprise to see her detachment to others either, after had been sold as a slave from such a young age, but the way she treated the people who care about her and Risk, show us this lady have a good heart, only she did what is necessary if others hurt the people she care.
Btw, if you read and love MindFuck series, you probably would love this one too. But this is a high fantasy and there are bloody war scenes and yes hundreds of thousands killed in this story. So, if you little bit squeamish reading those, this probably is not for you.
The story is brutal and bloody with a little psycho heroine and a hero who couldn’t think straight without her! 😳😂🤣🤣
However, I don’t give this a full five stars, because the end of the villain a bit anti climatic and one of beloved character situation still unresolved plus, she killing off one the supporting character 🥴.
Oh well, it made the series feels real, I suppose.
No one unscathed with this type of wars, I guess.
Go on read it. Book #1 is free and you can get the audiobooks version on scribd too.
Try their 30 days trial, if you don’t have an account yet! 😘
❤️❤️❤️
I found this author a couple years ago, I was interesting with her books until I found out it was a reverse harem series, yeah NO! I don’t care how good her books was, I won’t touch them!
However, later on one of my friend here gave a high rating for her books, and I thought she wouldn’t read RH either, I was curious and checking out her books again.
And I was glad to do that, because if not, I would miss this fabulous series.
I couldn’t stop until I’ve read all the book in the series, it has a fantastic heroine ❤️.
Quinn changing was amazing, probably this part can sum up what this series all about,
“Now you’re ready.”
She turned to look in the mirror, and the woman that looked back didn’t look like a slave, or a hand, or even a queen—though Lazarus clearly modeled her head piece after a crown.
She looked like a god.
A deity so great that men would quake in fear as she walked.
Immortal and inhuman.
Powerful.
Then she smiled because Lorraine was right. She was ready.
If you love a story about revenge and war with slow burn romance, where the hero who does the begging! Hah 😳😘😂, this was a series for you 😍.
Quinn wasn’t cruel, eventhought she has no qualms killed hundreds of thousands army in a war 😳.
I didn’t surprise to see her detachment to others either, after had been sold as a slave from such a young age, but the way she treated the people who care about her and Risk, show us this lady have a good heart, only she did what is necessary if others hurt the people she care.
Btw, if you read and love MindFuck series, you probably would love this one too. But this is a high fantasy and there are bloody war scenes and yes hundreds of thousands killed in this story. So, if you little bit squeamish reading those, this probably is not for you.
The story is brutal and bloody with a little psycho heroine and a hero who couldn’t think straight without her! 😳😂🤣🤣
However, I don’t give this a full five stars, because the end of the villain a bit anti climatic and one of beloved character situation still unresolved plus, she killing off one the supporting character 🥴.
Oh well, it made the series feels real, I suppose.
No one unscathed with this type of wars, I guess.
Go on read it. Book #1 is free and you can get the audiobooks version on scribd too.
Try their 30 days trial, if you don’t have an account yet! 😘
❤️❤️❤️
Read
July 4, 2020I’m saying this for the people that don’t believe me.
This series is dark fantasy. I have said that since the very beginning.
Dark. Fantasy.
That means there is VERY dark aspects sometimes. This book has some of them. Please understand that going in. I won’t apologize for what I write when I label it appropriately.
If you do not like books with darkness in them, this series isn’t for you. If you need trigger warnings, this book will likely upset you somewhere along the way.
That is why it is dark fantasy and not simply epic fantasy.
You have been warned.
Also, this is the last book. So if you’re like me and like to scroll through reviews first—binge away my friends. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. ;)
This series is dark fantasy. I have said that since the very beginning.
Dark. Fantasy.
That means there is VERY dark aspects sometimes. This book has some of them. Please understand that going in. I won’t apologize for what I write when I label it appropriately.
If you do not like books with darkness in them, this series isn’t for you. If you need trigger warnings, this book will likely upset you somewhere along the way.
That is why it is dark fantasy and not simply epic fantasy.
You have been warned.
Also, this is the last book. So if you’re like me and like to scroll through reviews first—binge away my friends. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. ;)
October 18, 2020
The heroine in this series literally represents everything about being a BADASS QUEEN. She is unapologetically herself, can literally handle anything that comes her way, huge bitch (Which I freaking love), does not give a shit about what others think of her, and extremely loyal.
My one caveat with this series is the romance, Idk if it was me but I wanted more development in their relationship, I felt like it was not fleshed out as well as I would have liked it to be!
Other than that, this series goes up there with those amazing books about psycho queens as heroines LOL.
My one caveat with this series is the romance, Idk if it was me but I wanted more development in their relationship, I felt like it was not fleshed out as well as I would have liked it to be!
Other than that, this series goes up there with those amazing books about psycho queens as heroines LOL.
July 6, 2020
Sooooooo, that ending felt rushed. The "big bad" has been on the horizon for almost the whole series but we only really get to know him a bit in this book. So he show ups and bam the series is done. What made it feel even more rushed was all the POV's
This might sound all negative but that isn't the case, I was more or less happy with the way things ended just needed more info on things that happened and some of the supporting characters (Thorne, Vaughn to name a few)
I also tend to be harder on a final book in a series - not on purpose but it happens anyways. Enjoyed this series overall
This might sound all negative but that isn't the case, I was more or less happy with the way things ended just needed more info on things that happened and some of the supporting characters (Thorne, Vaughn to name a few)
I also tend to be harder on a final book in a series - not on purpose but it happens anyways. Enjoyed this series overall
October 30, 2020
4.5 Stars
Satisfying ending to a great series. I loved each and every book, and every character that came along the way, and though I'm happy that some of them got their happy endings, I was still sad about what had happened to Vaughn and Dominicus. I'm hoping that we get a bonus epilogue or book for Vaughn and Axe, because I was hoping they would end up together and it was left open ended. I wasn't a huge fan of Dominicus, but I wanted Lorraine to be happy with him, or to be happy with someone, so that sucked too, but I also love Risk and Draevan's ending, and how he is willing to wait for her until the day he dies. I'm not a huge fan of Risk and most of her POVs were boring, but I loved her and Draevan together, so I'm happy they get their happy.
Besides all that, Lazarus and Quinn are still my favorite characters, and I love how their personalities were consistent. They both grew, but Quinn was always a bada** and had no problem showing it, and had no problem putting anyone in their place. She was just always awesome. She did overshadow Lazarus at times, and I wish his powers could have been just a little more epic in the finale, but I'm also not mad that the women are the ones to save the day. I also wish we could have seen them get married, but that would have been out of character for them, I think I just wanted to finally see some sweeter moments from them where they would say I love you or something. Well, the hero technically did once, but I didn't get as much from the heroine. Either way, you can obviously tell how infatuated and obsessed they are with each other, so I wouldn't count out the day where possessiveness takes over and they finally decide to tie the knot, they do have forever after all.
Satisfying ending to a great series. I loved each and every book, and every character that came along the way, and though I'm happy that some of them got their happy endings, I was still sad about what had happened to Vaughn and Dominicus. I'm hoping that we get a bonus epilogue or book for Vaughn and Axe, because I was hoping they would end up together and it was left open ended. I wasn't a huge fan of Dominicus, but I wanted Lorraine to be happy with him, or to be happy with someone, so that sucked too, but I also love Risk and Draevan's ending, and how he is willing to wait for her until the day he dies. I'm not a huge fan of Risk and most of her POVs were boring, but I loved her and Draevan together, so I'm happy they get their happy.
Besides all that, Lazarus and Quinn are still my favorite characters, and I love how their personalities were consistent. They both grew, but Quinn was always a bada** and had no problem showing it, and had no problem putting anyone in their place. She was just always awesome. She did overshadow Lazarus at times, and I wish his powers could have been just a little more epic in the finale, but I'm also not mad that the women are the ones to save the day. I also wish we could have seen them get married, but that would have been out of character for them, I think I just wanted to finally see some sweeter moments from them where they would say I love you or something. Well, the hero technically did once, but I didn't get as much from the heroine. Either way, you can obviously tell how infatuated and obsessed they are with each other, so I wouldn't count out the day where possessiveness takes over and they finally decide to tie the knot, they do have forever after all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2024
Did I like this book yes I enjoyed it did I like the ending not so much I still have questions that’s probably not going to get answers. I really wanted to give this five stars but it’s stuck at four it’s packed with loads of events
Some things happen that never gets truly answered Acknowledged yes maybe it’s left open for another book but it wasn’t for me now I can understand why there are mixed reviews on this book would I recommend it yes absolutely would if you’re into fantasy this is right up there for you if you're not into books like a court of thorns and roses etc then it’s not for you.
Some things happen that never gets truly answered Acknowledged yes maybe it’s left open for another book but it wasn’t for me now I can understand why there are mixed reviews on this book would I recommend it yes absolutely would if you’re into fantasy this is right up there for you if you're not into books like a court of thorns and roses etc then it’s not for you.
July 12, 2020
And we go to war. We finally meet Nero. I wanted there to be a confrontation between Lazarus and Nero. It just felt lacking to me.
Anyways, I love Quinn. She's not your usual heroine. She's vicious and not capable of fearing anything. She's a fear twister. She doesn't look for trouble but when trouble finds her, that would be the end of it.
Anyways, I love Quinn. She's not your usual heroine. She's vicious and not capable of fearing anything. She's a fear twister. She doesn't look for trouble but when trouble finds her, that would be the end of it.
June 13, 2022
Review of the series as a whole.
I think this is one of my favorite series. Very dark fantasy. Fantastic FMC. Action filled plot with layered schemes and machinations. Fabulous cast. Manipulating gods. I loved everything about it.
I think this is one of my favorite series. Very dark fantasy. Fantastic FMC. Action filled plot with layered schemes and machinations. Fabulous cast. Manipulating gods. I loved everything about it.
June 26, 2022
This was a really good ending to an amazing series
November 21, 2021
When a story can make your heart race and gives you goosebumps not once or twice but multiple times, you know it's magnificent. This one was. 🖤
However, the reason I removed one star from my rating was because of the ending. It was good, no doubt....but it could have been great. It wrapped up too fast and easily and I wanted to see more.
This was kind of like my opinion on Game of Thrones....the characters, the setting and the games were fucking amazing but the ending had the potential to be immense instead of easy.
Overall, I loved it. My most fav part were the characters.🖤 Definitely one of the best fantasies I have read😍✨
Some quotes from the book I liked:
“Loyalty given is the greatest of gifts. Loyalty taken is the worst of crimes. For it isn’t loyalty at all, but slavery by another name.”
“Survival is strength by another name. The ability to withstand and endure is the true marker of the fittest.”
“Loyalty may be the greatest gift, but it doesn’t matter who is loyal if you cannot protect yourself. Self-sufficiency is what survivors are made of.”
Like I said, you focus on the wrong things. How you look, how little you have covered or not covered—it will not protect you. You wear men’s clothing so that men don’t look at you, but if a man wanted to do those things that they once did to your body—they would. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing because it’s not about your body. It’s about power.
She was addicted and destruction was her poison of choice.
“Remove your hand from me.”
“Make me,” she challenged.
“Destiny is just a more ignorant term for being manipulated by the gods.”
She and Lazarus were more than fate or destiny.
They were inevitable.
The thumping ceased.
Thunder rolled.
And when Risk Darkova lifted her head, she had no intention of ever bowing it again.
“True perfection is possible, but only if you kill the flaws first.”
She looked like death incarnate.
A reaper of destruction.
Fear given form.
“A wise woman once said that if you love someone, bring them the heads of their enemies.”
“There is nothing so thrilling or intense as loving a dangerous woman. When you don’t know if she will kiss you or try to kill you, it’s a love that weak men do not survive, and strong men would give anything to hold on to.”
Leaving things to chance was a great way to end up dead.
“The line between recklessness and fearlessness is thinner than one may think.”
For a rage thief who knew how to fight and kill, he had quite the aversion to the darker side of murder. He might know rage, but he didn’t know depravity. Not as Quinn did.
This was the game to win all games.
Winner takes all.
He couldn’t afford to lose.
“Anyone can be broken, but each of us must choose if we will be remade from it. We must choose what we will become.”
“The key to power is neither fear, nor fury, nor control. It is acceptance. Only in accepting ourselves for all that we are, both good and bad, can we become who we are meant to be.”
However, the reason I removed one star from my rating was because of the ending. It was good, no doubt....but it could have been great. It wrapped up too fast and easily and I wanted to see more.
This was kind of like my opinion on Game of Thrones....the characters, the setting and the games were fucking amazing but the ending had the potential to be immense instead of easy.
Overall, I loved it. My most fav part were the characters.🖤 Definitely one of the best fantasies I have read😍✨
Some quotes from the book I liked:
“Loyalty given is the greatest of gifts. Loyalty taken is the worst of crimes. For it isn’t loyalty at all, but slavery by another name.”
“Survival is strength by another name. The ability to withstand and endure is the true marker of the fittest.”
“Loyalty may be the greatest gift, but it doesn’t matter who is loyal if you cannot protect yourself. Self-sufficiency is what survivors are made of.”
Like I said, you focus on the wrong things. How you look, how little you have covered or not covered—it will not protect you. You wear men’s clothing so that men don’t look at you, but if a man wanted to do those things that they once did to your body—they would. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing because it’s not about your body. It’s about power.
She was addicted and destruction was her poison of choice.
“Remove your hand from me.”
“Make me,” she challenged.
“Destiny is just a more ignorant term for being manipulated by the gods.”
She and Lazarus were more than fate or destiny.
They were inevitable.
The thumping ceased.
Thunder rolled.
And when Risk Darkova lifted her head, she had no intention of ever bowing it again.
“True perfection is possible, but only if you kill the flaws first.”
She looked like death incarnate.
A reaper of destruction.
Fear given form.
“A wise woman once said that if you love someone, bring them the heads of their enemies.”
“There is nothing so thrilling or intense as loving a dangerous woman. When you don’t know if she will kiss you or try to kill you, it’s a love that weak men do not survive, and strong men would give anything to hold on to.”
Leaving things to chance was a great way to end up dead.
“The line between recklessness and fearlessness is thinner than one may think.”
For a rage thief who knew how to fight and kill, he had quite the aversion to the darker side of murder. He might know rage, but he didn’t know depravity. Not as Quinn did.
This was the game to win all games.
Winner takes all.
He couldn’t afford to lose.
“Anyone can be broken, but each of us must choose if we will be remade from it. We must choose what we will become.”
“The key to power is neither fear, nor fury, nor control. It is acceptance. Only in accepting ourselves for all that we are, both good and bad, can we become who we are meant to be.”
July 23, 2020
This has been one of the best series I have read in a long time and I am so sad that it is now over.
Quinn has to be one of my favourite female leads ever. In fact, apart from Kate Daniels at my number 1 spot, I'm pretty sure she's number 2.
Whilst the sorts of genres I read are peppered with tough female characters, none are so unashamedly badass and magnificent as Quinn. She's just in a total league of her own. I love that she is more villain than hero, that she is blood thirsty and cruel.
And I adore her relationship with Lazarus and love how its developed. Considering how long he resisted her, it was incredibly gratifying to see the sheer magnitude if what he feels for her. I also loved how their dynamic was so equal. He could get nothing from her that she didn't want to freely give.
The world building and secondary characters are also excellent, and I would love a spin off with Axe as the main character.
My only teeny criticism is, while I appreciated the epilogue, I would have liked a bit more exposition at the end, or maybe I just wasn't ready to leave these characters behind!
Quinn has to be one of my favourite female leads ever. In fact, apart from Kate Daniels at my number 1 spot, I'm pretty sure she's number 2.
Whilst the sorts of genres I read are peppered with tough female characters, none are so unashamedly badass and magnificent as Quinn. She's just in a total league of her own. I love that she is more villain than hero, that she is blood thirsty and cruel.
And I adore her relationship with Lazarus and love how its developed. Considering how long he resisted her, it was incredibly gratifying to see the sheer magnitude if what he feels for her. I also loved how their dynamic was so equal. He could get nothing from her that she didn't want to freely give.
The world building and secondary characters are also excellent, and I would love a spin off with Axe as the main character.
My only teeny criticism is, while I appreciated the epilogue, I would have liked a bit more exposition at the end, or maybe I just wasn't ready to leave these characters behind!
October 3, 2022
Reread: if I could give this series more than five stars I would. I can't begin to tell you how this series is absofuckinglutely my all time favorite series. It literally has every one of my checks. If only I could find more books similar! So good!!
Holy fucking hell!! The only thing that would make this more thrilling is if Carpenter made a spin-off!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASEEEEE!!
This was my favorite book out of the series. I LOVE this series and it sits beautifully on my shelf. Man, Nero was fucking twisted and definitely made for an interesting read. The emotions I felt while listening to the epilogue was intense. I need more, this is a series I will enjoy for years to come!
Holy fucking hell!! The only thing that would make this more thrilling is if Carpenter made a spin-off!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASEEEEE!!
This was my favorite book out of the series. I LOVE this series and it sits beautifully on my shelf. Man, Nero was fucking twisted and definitely made for an interesting read. The emotions I felt while listening to the epilogue was intense. I need more, this is a series I will enjoy for years to come!
May 21, 2020
are you kidding meeeeee she ends on that cliffhanger and expects me to WAIT. SHE WANTS ME TO WAIT. I ACNNOT WAIT, I WILL LITERALLY COMBUST LIKE THE HEAD OF TITUS AT THE BALLLLLL
June 30, 2023
Love this serie so much!!
January 31, 2023
Real struggle with this one, I did get distracted last book, but this one was hard work. Dragged on and found it boring. I loved the first few in the series but not the last ones so much.
March 19, 2025
3.5 ⭐️'s
Respectfully,
What. The. Fuck.
😳
I'm still a bit in shock after this final book. The brutality and dark subject matter in this final book was really hard for me.
The final villain is one of the most disturbing I've read about. I honestly skimmed his chapters because they made me so uncomfortable.
The FMC and MMC have no real character development across the series. And the only likable characters are the secondary or supporting ones.
I really considered DNFing at the 60% mark, but I've invested a good chunk of time to this series and wanted to know how it ended. So the last 40% I listened to at 2.5x speed.
The ending was interesting and quasi satisfying, but it was the epilogue that I truly needed for the story to be complete.
But overall... I don't think I would recommend this series unless you're a dark romantasy fan.
Respectfully,
What. The. Fuck.
😳
I'm still a bit in shock after this final book. The brutality and dark subject matter in this final book was really hard for me.
The final villain is one of the most disturbing I've read about. I honestly skimmed his chapters because they made me so uncomfortable.
The FMC and MMC have no real character development across the series. And the only likable characters are the secondary or supporting ones.
I really considered DNFing at the 60% mark, but I've invested a good chunk of time to this series and wanted to know how it ended. So the last 40% I listened to at 2.5x speed.
The ending was interesting and quasi satisfying, but it was the epilogue that I truly needed for the story to be complete.
But overall... I don't think I would recommend this series unless you're a dark romantasy fan.
January 18, 2022
WHAT AN ENDING!!!!
Axe is everything, Risk is a Queen and Quinn....well Quinn is just fantastic.
I really loved how this book closed everything off in the right way.
Overall - for me, this series could have been condensed. There was no theme or plot line I felt needed a full five books to go through. It could have easily been a trilogy.
Having said that, extremely entertaining, dark, funny, thought provoking and an overall good time. I would definitely recommend.
Also, it is five books but I read them all in less than 3 days and worked during that time so the books themselves aren't considerably long.
Axe is everything, Risk is a Queen and Quinn....well Quinn is just fantastic.
I really loved how this book closed everything off in the right way.
Overall - for me, this series could have been condensed. There was no theme or plot line I felt needed a full five books to go through. It could have easily been a trilogy.
Having said that, extremely entertaining, dark, funny, thought provoking and an overall good time. I would definitely recommend.
Also, it is five books but I read them all in less than 3 days and worked during that time so the books themselves aren't considerably long.
July 9, 2024
"Long Live the Soulless," the fifth book in the "Dark Maji" series, delivers a powerful and emotional finale to Quinn Darkova's journey. The story is packed with intense moments, action, and battles. This final installment ties up loose ends and provides a satisfying ending.
I was entertained throughout this series and would rate it between 4 and 5 stars. It's good, and I'm glad I read it, but I think it's a one-time read for me. I don't feel the need to revisit it like I do with some other series 😊
This book gets 4,5 ⭐️’s like the others
I was entertained throughout this series and would rate it between 4 and 5 stars. It's good, and I'm glad I read it, but I think it's a one-time read for me. I don't feel the need to revisit it like I do with some other series 😊
This book gets 4,5 ⭐️’s like the others
June 1, 2025
3.5/5
July 2, 2023
Update : I finished it!!
You know I support women's wrongs and all that, but she does commit genocide.....
The romance had so much potential, but felt botched. Same for the villain who had no depth.
The found family was fun, especially the fact that they don't all like each other.
------------
DNF at 60%.
16 pages long rape scene that is useless to the plot? Fuck off.
You know I support women's wrongs and all that, but she does commit genocide.....
The romance had so much potential, but felt botched. Same for the villain who had no depth.
The found family was fun, especially the fact that they don't all like each other.
------------
DNF at 60%.
16 pages long rape scene that is useless to the plot? Fuck off.
March 2, 2022
Beyond impressed with this series. The depth that the reader gets to know the characters is unmatched. Quinn is the perfectly imperfect heroine & I couldn’t read fast enough. The ending was perfectly rounded out and made me feel complete- which NEVER happens after finishing a 5 part series. Kel, you’re the shit & your sex scenes are better than SJM. No shade. 🤷🏼♀️
April 22, 2021
This book was definitely the best in the series. If the entire series was written like this one, it would have been out of this world. The personalities were fantastic. The characters were finally open and revealed themselves!! Amazing! We saw their thoughts, their POV, their feelings, their motivations, their morals, and everything. Finally.
So much happened in this book. Kel could have honestly made the entire series about this one book and drawn it out more. Ugh. The plot was so clear and exciting in this one. But it is still really nice to see Kel improve through the series. Good on her, this was a great book. The plot was solid, the characters were solid, and the relationships were solid. Great work.
Since I finished the series, I'll say my thoughts but TL;DR: Would recommend!
What I like:
- The audacity. Mel doesn't pull her punches when it comes to putting her character's through it. She puts them through hell and I am still speechless when I try to talk about what they go through.
- The darkness. The characters are unapologetically evil and deranged. They are what they are and they are better for it.
- The tension. I'm deep in this enemies-to-lovers grind for 2021 and this is definitely one of them. The tension is a slow-build but when it pops off, it's Pops. Off. They are savage with each other and I don't know why I love that villainous kind of relationship but it gets me every time. I love reading about the kind of love that burns the world down *chef's kiss*
What could be better in earlier books:
- Character building. There are so many secrets the characters have to the point that the very interesting back stories they have are never fully accessed and that, to me, is a wasted opportunity to not only enrich characters but for readers to learn and understand the characters. It felt like, "these people are so cool, but they won't talk to meeee."
- Story delivery. Much like the character building, there are a lot of things that happen in the book that we just don't get to experience. They are mentioned but in passing and we don't get to travel with the characters on journeys where they experience a lot of growth which I believe would have only bonded us more to the series -- to have gone on those journeys and had those experiences with them.
** Both of these issues are not found in the last book :D amazing! growth! **
All in all, I am glad I read this series. I will always remember the whiplash I got from book 3 and the sequential chaos that followed. The insane events that happen in the books kept me riveted, invested, and here till the end. Satisfied reader :)
So much happened in this book. Kel could have honestly made the entire series about this one book and drawn it out more. Ugh. The plot was so clear and exciting in this one. But it is still really nice to see Kel improve through the series. Good on her, this was a great book. The plot was solid, the characters were solid, and the relationships were solid. Great work.
Since I finished the series, I'll say my thoughts but TL;DR: Would recommend!
What I like:
- The audacity. Mel doesn't pull her punches when it comes to putting her character's through it. She puts them through hell and I am still speechless when I try to talk about what they go through.
- The darkness. The characters are unapologetically evil and deranged. They are what they are and they are better for it.
- The tension. I'm deep in this enemies-to-lovers grind for 2021 and this is definitely one of them. The tension is a slow-build but when it pops off, it's Pops. Off. They are savage with each other and I don't know why I love that villainous kind of relationship but it gets me every time. I love reading about the kind of love that burns the world down *chef's kiss*
What could be better in earlier books:
- Character building. There are so many secrets the characters have to the point that the very interesting back stories they have are never fully accessed and that, to me, is a wasted opportunity to not only enrich characters but for readers to learn and understand the characters. It felt like, "these people are so cool, but they won't talk to meeee."
- Story delivery. Much like the character building, there are a lot of things that happen in the book that we just don't get to experience. They are mentioned but in passing and we don't get to travel with the characters on journeys where they experience a lot of growth which I believe would have only bonded us more to the series -- to have gone on those journeys and had those experiences with them.
** Both of these issues are not found in the last book :D amazing! growth! **
All in all, I am glad I read this series. I will always remember the whiplash I got from book 3 and the sequential chaos that followed. The insane events that happen in the books kept me riveted, invested, and here till the end. Satisfied reader :)
April 8, 2022
5 stars are not enough, Here take all my stars, 50 if you want!
Listen, I'm going to fangirl for a little bit because I feel like this series deserves it.
When I picked up the "Dark Maji" series, it was totally on a whim. I liked the cover of the first book and the name of it, so I said " Sure, let's do it"
Was I expecting to fall madly in love with this world and the characters? well, sure. Who picks up a book series and doesn't plan to love everything about it?
Reading this entire series was such a thrill for me, I loved every second. I think you can tell if you go sort of reading all my reviews from the first book forward, how totally invested I was with the story.
I said this a hundred times and I'll do it a hundred more, to me personally, the selling point of a book is the characters, if they manage to reach me, to actually make me care for whatever happens to them in the future, for them to triumph, then it is a done deal. This author made me fall head over heels in love with each and every character in this book.
It was not only that but adding the amazing world-building and the individual plot of every book and the overarching plot of the series, it manages to keep you so hooked. A page-turner.
Let's not leave aside the romance because it was hot, sexy, and wicked at the same time but it was the sort of romantic development and romantic relationship that fits perfectly with the arch of the characters and who they are.
Everything of course topped by the incredible writing. I could gush more if you let me about this series and everything regarding it but I think I already went long enough to relay how much I freaking adore this entire ride.
Long live the Soulless!
Listen, I'm going to fangirl for a little bit because I feel like this series deserves it.
When I picked up the "Dark Maji" series, it was totally on a whim. I liked the cover of the first book and the name of it, so I said " Sure, let's do it"
Was I expecting to fall madly in love with this world and the characters? well, sure. Who picks up a book series and doesn't plan to love everything about it?
Reading this entire series was such a thrill for me, I loved every second. I think you can tell if you go sort of reading all my reviews from the first book forward, how totally invested I was with the story.
I said this a hundred times and I'll do it a hundred more, to me personally, the selling point of a book is the characters, if they manage to reach me, to actually make me care for whatever happens to them in the future, for them to triumph, then it is a done deal. This author made me fall head over heels in love with each and every character in this book.
It was not only that but adding the amazing world-building and the individual plot of every book and the overarching plot of the series, it manages to keep you so hooked. A page-turner.
Let's not leave aside the romance because it was hot, sexy, and wicked at the same time but it was the sort of romantic development and romantic relationship that fits perfectly with the arch of the characters and who they are.
Everything of course topped by the incredible writing. I could gush more if you let me about this series and everything regarding it but I think I already went long enough to relay how much I freaking adore this entire ride.
Long live the Soulless!
July 3, 2020
Perfect end to a harrowing adventure! Holy Moley this book was everything I needed and more. The last book ended with a mind blowing heart shattering finale and this book swept up those pieces and slowly put them back together in a way that makes it more beautiful than it was before. Quinn is so devilish it’s amazing. Her darkness is so sublimely perfect that death can’t even keep her. Her loyalty to Lazarus is the stuff of legends... LEGENDS. I want a Quinn in my life!
We start this book with a broken Lazarus. Seriously broken. His part in Quinn's demise tore him apart and I am so satisfied. He was just too perfect before. Throughout the series we see Quinn truly push his buttons and affect him in subtle ways but his response to her death is everything I wanted from him. Quinn, true to her character, comes back swinging and ready to deliver a smack down. But RISK.... RISK was the unsung heroine of this book. I wondered what part she would play after Quinn rescued her. I thought she would fade into the background but she refused. I thought she was too frightened of the world to truly make a difference, but she showed me. She gave me the finger, rolled up her sleeves, put in the work, and then said watch me save all these buttheads. Yup. Read it. It is amazing.
Last note: The girl power in this book was epic. Quinn, Risk, and Lorraine..... YES You read that right. Lorraine!!! Did not see that coming. BRAVO!
We start this book with a broken Lazarus. Seriously broken. His part in Quinn's demise tore him apart and I am so satisfied. He was just too perfect before. Throughout the series we see Quinn truly push his buttons and affect him in subtle ways but his response to her death is everything I wanted from him. Quinn, true to her character, comes back swinging and ready to deliver a smack down. But RISK.... RISK was the unsung heroine of this book. I wondered what part she would play after Quinn rescued her. I thought she would fade into the background but she refused. I thought she was too frightened of the world to truly make a difference, but she showed me. She gave me the finger, rolled up her sleeves, put in the work, and then said watch me save all these buttheads. Yup. Read it. It is amazing.
Last note: The girl power in this book was epic. Quinn, Risk, and Lorraine..... YES You read that right. Lorraine!!! Did not see that coming. BRAVO!
October 17, 2020
After reading all the books of this series I can say that it was an adventure worth reading. The h is as fearless (😉) and wonderfully lethal and wicked as an heiress of a dark god can be. Quinn is amazing and one can read this books if not for the cool world building or the enthralling storyline the authors brought to life, then to simply enjoy a strong h doing what has to be done, unapologetically. I truly enjoyed her character and everything about her. I also enjoyed a lot of the side characters but I simply despised all the ungrateful, disloyal and whinny ones that throughout five books, never liked, accepted, respected or appreciated our h and although her persona and very essence kept people at bay, she did a lot to deserve at least the respect from the members of her own house. She brought a lot to the table and saved a lot of asses. So, even if some idiots (yes, I know they are fictional characters but still...😤🤬) managed to steal some of the fun for me, I very much enjoyed this journey and recommend it to everyone that liked a strong female lead.
April 8, 2025
What an ending!
With the last books cliffhanger, I was curious how they would complete the story and it did not disappoint, except perhaps in the case of Vaughn.
Quinn remained badass but with huge growth, less selfishness while remaining the hard decider.
Lazarus, bless, he really had no chance of controlling his fear twister, his love makes him blind to all else and his grief resonated with how deep that love is.
Risk’s growth was great and a spin off story of her new position within the dark realm would be so good.
Nero’s chapters and insight was dark, *dark*, some scenes were uncomfortably sickening with its depravity which made him a true villain in this antihero book.
Overall, a great series and one to add for the dark romantasy queens 🔥
With the last books cliffhanger, I was curious how they would complete the story and it did not disappoint, except perhaps in the case of Vaughn.
Quinn remained badass but with huge growth, less selfishness while remaining the hard decider.
Lazarus, bless, he really had no chance of controlling his fear twister, his love makes him blind to all else and his grief resonated with how deep that love is.
Risk’s growth was great and a spin off story of her new position within the dark realm would be so good.
Nero’s chapters and insight was dark, *dark*, some scenes were uncomfortably sickening with its depravity which made him a true villain in this antihero book.
Overall, a great series and one to add for the dark romantasy queens 🔥
October 20, 2020
I really liked the conclusion, it was well done. It was expected but sometimes, predictable ending can also be written in such a way to leave you with thoughts. And that's a good thing. I can only say that out of the five books in the series, the ones I truly enjoyed were book three, four and five. The first two really felt like fillers, before anything really happens. But it made the series that much smarter and enjoyable to read.
July 7, 2020
Quinn is wickedly lovely. You can't help but love her even with her darkness. We all know that the dead dont always stay dead but when deals are made what are the real cost and there are more players on the board they they all orginally thought. Can the keep the kingdom from falling and will the win the upcoming war. In this one everyone really has to step the game up. You also learn alot about the enemy in this one.
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