What a captivating welcome back to the intoxicatingly dark and depraved Society world! The Devil's Pawn is deliciously addictive, riveting from start to finish. This book is everything that makes Natasha Knight the queen of dark romantic suspense- the vendettas, the secrets, elite machinations, the gripping suspense and jaw dropping twists, and so much sultry eroticism. All catalyzed by the turbulent romance between two richly captivating characters. Yet another intricately told and deliciously bingeable treat from the dark queen- I am DESPERATE for book 2!
The Society world is just so breathtakingly dark and depraved, so I was elated to be back in this world with a new broody, tortured hero bent on revenge. There is truly no one who writes the elite world-vendetta and age gap arranged marriage trope like Natasha Knight- she so vividly and unapologetically captures all that makes her characters and the world they live in twisted. She mires us in the darkness, creates a relationship chemistry that is toxic and addicting, and then she starts to subtly introduce elements of light and authentic connection, moments that cast new substance on her individual characters, moments that helps us find redemption and healing for our hero and power and freedom for our heroines…all paired with jaw-dropping and action packed romantic suspense that keeps the pages turning. Her books are my literal catnip- I can’t get enough.
Devil’s Pawn gives us the super anti-hero Jericho- and at first he even makes Santiago look like a kitten. Natasha really brought the anger and darkness to this new leading man. He’s tortured, ruthless, and unapologetically cruel, especially to our poor heroine, who finds herself in his clutches thanks to the ancient society rites and a little blackmail. Isabelle is just a pawn in the machinations of elite wealthy men, a seeming casualty in Jericho’s quest for vengeance. Isabella has the makings of a classic Jericho heroine- she’s innocent, sweet, and naive to the ways of the society. She’s also incredibly charismatic and super relatable as a heroine- an “every day” girl who finds herself thrust into a situation that is anything other than normal. She’s palpably lonely and abandoned as a character- which gives her a surprising amount of spine and perseverance. She’s already faced a lot of adversity, so she ends up being a bit more edgy than some Natasha heroines, which makes for a delicious dynamic with the decidedly more dastardly Jericho.
Natasha strikes up some delicious Romeo and Juliet vibes in this one- two neighboring families who have plagued one another for multiple generations. The Bishops and James families have a lot of history, and now the real question is if the current generation will perpetuate the cycle. But of course we have the Natasha Knight spin- she gives us a twisting story full of secrets and veiled motivations. And our couple is so captivating. Jericho doesn’t show much softness of bend in this story, especially as it relates to Belle, so the tension felt more prolonged and immersive- but it just tells me the reward is going to be all the sweeter. He’s horribly cruel to our heroine, who thanks to his family still sees something in him. The chemistry is volatile and complicated, and so very fickle. I was transfixed.
Of course, we have an epic cliffhanger that has me BEGGING for the next in the series. I’m so desperate for these two to get on the same page and to find some peace…but as we know, things in the Society world never go as planned, or are as they seemed, so more drama is coming. And I can’t wait to gobble up every word of it! Another brilliant dark romantic suspense from the dark queen!