Light may drive out the darkness but can also cast shadows; the sweetest lies can sound like truth.
With their best lead on Kronos eliminated, Babylon is back to square one. In Seattle, Kailani and her team turn to James Tennireef’s old employer to help snare the slippery lawmaker. At least gentle giant Lachlainn Baird provides some relief from the dead ends and dysfunctional dynamics. In London, at MI5, Maela continues to track an elusive criminal she’s only seen from afar. The task isn’t made any easier when she is thrown into training with ex royal marine Seef Arend, who takes an instant dislike to her. As tensions increase on both sides of the Atlantic, unexpected shifts begin to occur. Foes become friends; answers become questions; and chess pieces fall in a game that turns deadly.
World-building and slow-burn, Gates of Tartarus is the second of three books in The Babylon Project, a thrilling double reverse-harem series.
Content This book discusses and describes dark themes such as human trafficking and drug use.
This book was everything! I really loved the first book and was super excited to see what would go down in the second and I am not disappointed. We pick up where we left off and it’s non-stop from there.
I love how complex this plot is yet it’s still easy to follow. The writing is amazing and keeps me engaged throughout. I love the different group dynamics between the US and UK teams. The banter and camaraderie between all the characters is what I live for. I’m constantly wanting more because I’m so in love with all of them. Also, some characters stepped up their game and are now near the top of my list (don’t worry it’s a very tight race with all of them).
Our FMC are the perfect characters to follow, I love seeing them figure out their new relationships and lives with the Babylon project. They’re so fun to live through and I want to be their friend so badly. I cannot wait to see more of them in the next book.
I cannot rave about this book and series enough. Seriously, read this series you will not be disappointed. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more, plus the books are thickkk so lots of content!
If you like your RH steamy but with a deep plot...
If you like your RH steamy but also with a deep plot and complex characters, this is a series for you. I found this series to be refreshingly unique. It’s not another hs/academy, not another PRN with shifters/demons/wolves/dragons – absolutely nothing wrong with those btw, but there is so much of that out there which makes it fun to read something really different. These are older and more mature characters (late 20s, early 30s) dealing with complicated lives and pasts. Tons of emotional pulls with this story. Not going to lie, I straight up cried during a few scenes of Gates of Tartarus. Some emotionally heavy themes that will stay with you and have you rooting for your favorite characters so hard.
I came across book one - Rise of Kronos - late last year and was so completely hooked by the characters and the story, I named it in the top three best books of 2021. I then proceeded to stalk these authors to see when part II would be released and folks let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint. Truly fantastic writing with a story and characters that will pull you and keep you locked in your seat for the full ride.
Summary: Genre: Contemporary RH Themes: Suspense, Intrigue, Psychic sciences (empath and telesthesia) (CIA/MI6 setting) Burn Level: This is a slow burn with rapid onset of steamy character chemistry where the heat and tension keep building to a crescendo. By the second book you will start to get some smexy times. Plot: There are two different stories being developed here with two different but equally fierce fmc's (two separate harems building). The two stories are on a path to collide in the shared goal of stopping a heinous, potentially global crime syndicate.
Ratings: World Building: 🌎 🌎 🌎 🌎 🌎 Character Building: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Romance: 💓 💓 💓 💓 (the romance is slower to build but frankly I prefer that with RH. It's so much more realistic, when it all fully comes together it's going to be DELICIOUS) Burn: Slow burn/high steam: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 Suspense: 💣 💣 💣 💣 💣 (some real edge of your seat moments) Drama: 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 (so much emotion and drama - good drama - in this series) Dark: 💀💀 💀 - this book definitely has a few dark moments but it was more emotional than dark to me - I would not consider it a "dark" story. Triggers: Some dark descriptive scenes of murder, torture, human trafficking - not of the main characters. No MM. No FF. No OW. Ending: Serious cliffhanger that completely caught me off guard. LOVED IT! Going to be thinking about this mystery while eagerly awaiting book three! Length: Approximately 650 pages (HEFTY!) Recommend: YES!! 👍👍(two thumbs up and all the stars!!)
The emotional roller coaster that I was just put through is a testament to the Fry sisters. Kalani and Maela are put through there paces as they are racing against the clock trying to figure out who Kronos is. Thankfully it isn’t all work and no play. Kate and Elise give us heartbreak, hope, love, and some sexy time. The sisters artfully write beautiful intimate moments that make you yearn for more. I cannot wait for the next book and will be eagerly waiting at the edge of my seat to know what happens next.
There were a few scenes where I found the writing hard to follow, meaning I couldn’t quite understand what was happening in that particular scene based on how it was described. I either had to go back and read a couple of times, or accept my confusion and piece together what had happened based on the outcome. But overall I really enjoyed this book. The use of gods, titans, and the personification of Earth to build the antagonists was going to hook me no matter what. It was fun to suspend reality to imagine finding not one, but two groups of men who have the character arcs of the men in this series. The psychic powers of the characters and their development is really interesting and well done. My girl Kai understands the absolute undeniable importance of caffeine.
This book is seriously phenomenal!! Rise of Kronos (book 1 in The Babylon Project series) was one of my favorite books last year but somehow Gates of Tartarus blows it out of the water! The plot, world building and character development are out of this world! I cannot recommend this series enough!!
This book picks up right where the last book ends and just hits the ground running! We get more romance, more action, more adventure and more tears(at least from me) but also some light hearted moments.
The characters in this book are top notch! It’s super easy to keep track of all of the characters because the authors do a wonderful job of making each voice distinctive. I love this series so much and if you haven’t read it, you should definitely book up book 1!
Truly, the two women (Kate and Elise) who wrote this book amaze me. I loved book 1 (Rise of Kronos). But when I say that I LOVED Gates of Tartarus, please hear me when I say that it's one of the best books I've read in 2022. And it's the length of three full books??
I think it's so amazing when authors construct a fictional story based on real events, and Kate and Elise have given us a masterclass on this. (P.S. If you didn't already know, I'm here to tell you that the U.S. government really did investigate the possible use of paranormal/psychic abilities!) They have clearly invested so much time and effort into their research and, based on it, giving us a story that feels sickeningly and scarily plausible. For that alone, this series is worth a read.
For the RH lovers, you'll be happy to know that the relationship dynamics begin picking up steam in Gates of Tartarus. We see true harems starting for form, though they still feel realistic and grounded, which I absolutely love. We also get some spicy scenes, and I loved the approach they took to them. They were satisfying and oh so yummy without being gratuitous or cheesy or over-the-top. This series is definitely a slow burn, but our wait (and the tension!) is paying off. Holy moly - the fireplace scene! *fans self* I also had some changes in my favorite men - one went WAY down the list (he knows what he did) while a couple others managed to make me root for them in a big way.
Big picture, you absolutely need to read this series. As incredible as Rise of Kronos was, Kate and Elise have outdone themselves with this one. I've truly never read another RH like this one, and I'm not even counting the double harem aspect in that. We're starting to get some questions answered, but those answers bring up even more questions. Oh, the suspense! I also really like that this series gives us dark, but not in the way that many other RH books are trending right now. Our beloved FMCs and their harem members aren't the dark, crazy ones; instead, they're caught up in a really dark situation. So, if you're a little over the crazy, p$ycho FMC or harem members but still want the darkness, this is the series for you. With that being said, definitely check the trigger warnings.
Gates of Tartarus, the second book in the Babylon Project series by Kate and Elise Fry was absolutely spellbinding and a definite must read for any paranormal/science supernatural, steamy RH fan that loves a good twist, phenomenal storyline, intriguing plot and not one but TWO harems packed into one super thick and delicious slow burn story!!! The Fry sisters have truly outdone themselves once again! The amount of depth and research that went into creating this story, and the way they masterfully unfolded it right before our eyes was beyond beautiful and you just can’t stop reading!
This book starts off where the first book left us, with both of our beloved FMCs Kailani and Maela and all of their delicious men working together to try and find out more information on Kronos as well as working on their abilities. With continued suspense, drama and tons of action and twists and turns to keep you guessing this book truly has it all as the authors aren’t afraid to traverse some very hot topics such as torture, human trafficking and of course murder. Will our two teams finally get a handle on things and find the evil lurking close or will it be too late?!?
I absolutely loved that the groups finally had a chance to interact together and see the two FMCs finally together. And the harems?!? Man I do love a delicious slow burn!!! I love how we get to dig deep into all the characters and watch their connections slowly evolve naturally, with the slow tantalizing build up of all that delicious heat. And of course while I had my favorites for each of the women in the beginning I love how things are starting to heat up between the others and may just need to change my mind!
Overall if you’re a fan of highly developed and utterly unique plots, with complex and charismatic characters, steamy off the chart slow burn connections and endless intriguing twists then this is the one for you! The emotions that this story will pull from your soul may quite possibly wreck your heart but man is it worth it!!! And that ending?!!!? Needless to say I cant wait for the next book to get here!!!
Wow what a way to continue the series. This book made me love both FMC's even more and I absolutely fell more in love with some of the Men. (some of them are on my bad list-but im sure they will come around in book 3).
This book starts off where book 1 finished. Maela and her men are in London working on honing her abilities and trying to find more information on Kronos, while Kailani and her men are in the States working on the same thing. This book continues the Slow Burn track with the Harems. By the end of this book Maela has 3 guys (Jorge, Emlyn and Kavi) definitely in her Harem with Seef on the outside wanting to get in. Kailani has 3 men (Lachlainn, Walker and Jonah) strongly in her Harem with 2 men (Maddox and Hideo) who want in but are on the outside for now. In this book the 2 FMC's finally get to talk on the Phone and then end up meeting in person when the Seattle group flies to London for an event. I absolutely loved the scenes with the 2 FMC's together.
This book has a lot of Drama and can have some triggers for some readers. There are some dark descriptive scenes of murder, torture and human trafficking. It also through a lot of twists and turns the readers way. Some things I suspected and other things I had no clue were going to happen and I absolutely loved that!!
This book did end on a pretty big cliffhanger but definitely left me wanting more. I can not recommend this book enough and absolutely cant wait for the next book in the series to come out!!
6/5⭐ Extra Star Read I love the plot of this series. I love the characters. And thats a great mix. I think the authors do a fantastic job of balancing them.
So this series follows two fmcs that each have their own harems. The pace of the romance differs with each of their stoires and depending on the guys. This book has spice and a lot of forward momentum for both fmcs.
Both fmc have pychic abilities and are working for government agency's trying to slove a plot thats gets bigger and bigger while also being targets.
I loved getting more of charthers backgrounds and exploring their dynamic together. So super funny scenes and some super intense ones. I love the length it allows for the story to unfold in a great unrushed natrual way. Abour half way through he get some major thing happening yu usually see at the end and he get to experience it with the characters and see it all the way through which i loved.
So many great twists and turns. And a cliffy to rival all cliffys. I loved it haha excited to see it how all plays out. I cant recommend this enough. It gets better and better its such a great read.
From beginning to end I was sucked into this book and never wanted to put it down! Book two starts where book one stops so it doesn’t leave you guessing. The two main characters Maela and Kai are just as tough as in the first book and definitely put through some tough times in the second! The authors did a fantastic job of writing these darker/ emotional scenes that will stick with you. They are still fighting a international crime ring and being put through hell while doing it. Maela is working on growing her powers and her strength by fighting with the elusive Seef who is an ex-marine. Kai is opening herself up to be more vulnerable. They both go through tough times Kai more so than Maela and both need the men in their lives to help them through. The sexual tension in this book is off the charts! Maelas harem is definitely growing and moving at a more rapid pace while Kai’s is taking its time. Book twos cliffhanger killed me! Why you gotta do me like that? I’m very excited to see what happens in book three!
Not to spoil this for anyone but I am freaking out!
Huge cliffhanger with a teaser that leaves you with so many questions.
I seriously love this series so far.
You have Kai who is in America and can read people emotions. Her team gets a lead on a warehouse where women were being seen being loaded into a truck. When they go to investigate and Kai lowers her mental shields to verify no one is there she get slammed with so much agonizing pain and fear that it shreds she shields and almost kills her. In order to save Kai’s life, secrets get revealed. Not only is Kai now struggling to rebuild ber shields but She has a huge set back with her team as several members betray her trust.
You have Maela in London who can project her self to spy on other people. Her team is doing great and coming together.
Baddy’s start to finally get revealed and Maela and Kai get to team up together to try and take them down when all H E Double hockey sticks breaks lose.
I just love this series so much! It’s a very unique RH with 2 FMC’s and 2 harems. It’s a slow burn which allows us to get to know the characters and seems more like romance instead of jumping right into the steam! The tension and quick flirty glances were on point!
This book was a lot easier to keep track of the characters. Less jumping around between storylines. Kai and Maela are such wonderful main characters. And we see them grow so much in this book.
The tension and chemistry they have with their men is crazy 🔥 And their relationships are based on friendship first which allowed us to get to know everyone. They are still trying to find out who Kronos is and the authors added some twists to the story which I wasn’t expecting.
Just a warning, this bad boy is a thick one! It is not a quick read but it is definitely worth it! The cliffhanger will have my thinking for a while and I’m excited for book 3!
Kate and Elise have done it again! Gates of Tartarus is even better than Rise of Kronos. This book picks up right where book one left us. Maela is still working on mastering her ability and Kai is learning to open up to her team and Lachy. And they're both still trying to figure out what life looks like with multiple men. Meanwhile, tracking down Kronos gets even more difficult. Watching the ladies navigate work situations while also dealing with their personal relationships was so fascinating that I had a really hard time putting this book down to take care of my own things. Kate and Elise have built such a great world and have written such amazing characters that I feel like I could easily be living in the place they've created. I can't wait to see what happens next!
I mean what just happened! This book was absolutely amazing! Both Kailani and Maela’s character growth was just astounding to watch. From the way they developed in their relationships to how they developed with their powers. I have no favorites as they both are just amazing! Their men are an added bonus! Was not expecting the stuff with some of the people in Kailani’s life and wasn’t expecting one of the people to be a bad guy but that is why this book was so good! It kept me on the edge of my seat! And the ending! Holy crap the ending through me into a whole new spiral of questions and interest all wrapped up in one cliffhanger. Book three can’t come fast enough!
I just finished the book and I am absolutely speechless! That cliffhanger was something else! The sisters continue to blow my mind in the best possible way, I’m so excited to see how this story unfolds! GoT is a more fast paced than RoK, and we get to see friendships and relationships develop in a great timeline. It’s all natural and unhurried. My favorite part would be seeing Kai open up more and really getting to know what’s underneath the hard shell. I love Maela too, but I have a soft spot for Kai. There’s so much going on in each of their respective lives but it all folds together perfectly! I don’t want to give away any spoilers but be prepared for a bunch of unexpected twists and turns you’re going to love!
A strong second book of the series that builds the slow burn of both groups. We learn more, more twists happen, and then you find yourself questioning a whole heck of a lot. The book is so well written and well researched that you start to believe in the way things are panning out…. You get comfortable with that. See, that’s my foolish mistake. Authors love lulling you into a false sense of security when you think you know what’s happening and what’s going to happen. This book is strong on plot and getting to know the characters, with enough building and connection of the RH’s on both sides. It’s a truly unique series when following both sets
This book was a beast!! It is definitely not a quick read but with all of the amazing and intricate world building, I’m really pleased with how the story flowed. We jump between Maela and Kai every few chapters but it makes sense for how the plot is set up. Each FMC has their own distinct harem that develops at different paces and each group finally gets to meet! This book has drama, intrigue, and page turning suspense!! Definitely slow burn with a little more spice, but I can guess that it will be explosive in the next book. That ending was crazy!
I’ve never read anything like this before but dang is it good! Again, the world building is ABSOLUTELY amazing and definitely worth it!!
OMG! What a cliffhanger! The second book in The Babylon Project series is even better then the first book. We saw the development of two worlds in book 1 and in book 2 they finally collide. Kai and her team have a very explosive incident that causes a major rift in the team. Maela and her team are growing closer and working hard on developing her skills. In the heat of a moment, one sentence changes every thing in which the two teams now must be on the same continent to work together. We just begin to see an amazing friendship blossom between Kai and Maela before a drastic event. I cannot wait for book 3 to answer all the questions I have from that cliffhanger. Hats off to the Fry sisters!
This second in the series is a great next book. I enjoyed the first and had so many questions that we got to read about in this one.
The plot and worldbuilding in this series are incredibly complex, yet the authors make it easy to follow. It is well written and engaging. Having the different group dynamics between the US and UK teams makes it a great and unique kind of reverse harem (double the harems, double the fun!). The banter and camaraderie between all the characters are super well done. In addition, the continued growth of the relationships is great.
Our two FMCs are the perfect characters to follow, I love reading about them as figure out their changing relationships and lives with the Babylon project.
My only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that they are thick, dense books so it is really a project to read. Not in a bad way, just something to know so you don't choose this if you're looking for an easy read!
Can't wait to read more in the next book. Thanks to the authors and Peachy Keen Author Services for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Wow. Let me preface this by saying I am pregnant so my hormones may have come into play here but this book had my emotions all over the place. I laughed, I raged, I cried. In my opinion it is not easy to write slow burn reverse harems that can actually do slows burn realistically but the Fry sisters do not have to worry on that front. The world and relationship building from book one to two was done beautifully. And now I’m here stunned by the ending. Can’t wait to see what else these two cook up!
This was amazing! From the get go they bring you right back into Kai and Maela’s world and it never stops running from there. Poor Kai my heart broke for her but I’m glad things are out there and she can heal from them. And those steamy scenes with Maela and her men were just 🔥 (chef’s kiss). But seriously that ending though. The cliffy I wasn’t expecting. I guessed the correct bad guy but I didn’t see the cliffy and now I need to nurse this book hangover since the next book isn’t out yet.
Six freaking ⭐️. This was incredible. A lot happens. It’s darker than book 1. Also, there is some intense betrayal in this one. It also ends in a cliffhanger that makes you feel dirty and maybe slightly violated. But also, ready to take on Book 3.
I love these characters and the powers. Elise and Kate do such a good job differentiating the harems. I thought it might be overwhelming to have double harems. But no, everyone is unique and I think it’s done well. Maela grew on me in this book. Kai though? I continue to love her character.
I was not expecting that ending! Marla and Kailani are working hard to fight Kronos as well as work with their testosterone heavy teams. The action and intrigue are ramping up, and the heat is in, so intense! Time is racing to get that one break that will blow this international case wide open, but when the break comes, can the teams handle the obstacles that keep mounting?
I haven't had a book draw my heart in and keep it there like this one did for such a long time! An absolute must read series for RH lovers. It's unlike any other I have read. Live both of the FMC, they're so different and relatable in their own ways! Cannot wait for the next one!
The sister's have done it again. Such a great story and build of 🔥🔥. The cliffhanger still has me shaking my head in confusion 🤣. While I feel Iike it falls in PRN sphere, I love that the girls and some of their harem's have special abilities have a common day believability. I can't wait for book 3 and wish the Fry girl's the greatest opening day for book 2.
This book blew my mind!!! I loved the first and this one didn’t disappoint and even gave me more spice ( which is my jam!) I love the relationships between the characters and watching our FMCs coming into their own has been just a joy. I laughed, gasped, cringed and cried through this and can’t wait to see where it’s going! That ending though !!! Also please check TWs before reading! :)
I struggled a bit more with the duel POV with the girls in this book. I felt myself getting annoyed at times when the story line would change. It was still intriguing and keep me guessing. The building relationships and slow burn was amazing. The end was crazy and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 3!
Why?! Why would you DO this to me?? I thought you liked your readers!! Real talk though, this series is fan-flipping-tastic. I can't put it down, can't wait for the next, might start stalking the author, idk. We'll see how my summer looks.
I absolutely loved the second instalment of this series. The characters are so real, the plot is so intriguing and the world is so addicting I could not put it down