Kaios in the Black Sea

by Quell T. Fox

It is said revenge is for the weak…
I believe it is for the wicked.

Some allow pain to consume them while others thrive from it, enjoy it.
Neither of those are true for me.
For me, pain is like a slow burning ember. Hot yet contained. It could burn out at a moment’s notice or be the cause of something disastrous.
I will not allow my pain to control me. I will keep it inside until I need it most; until the impact will be most beneficial to me and the one I lost; the only person I ever truly cared about.
Until I saw her…
What was supposed to be revenge, turned into something much sweeter. Something unexpected.
How can I avenge the one I lost if it means hurting the one I now love?

This book is a full length, stand-alone novel.

also published in the Dark Gods: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance Anthology

Genres: Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Paranormal, Forced Proximity

496 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2022

Reviews

[Jillian]

DNF 17%. Gave me the ick.

Poorly written. The motivations of the characters aren't well developed. Uninteresting. It seems like the suitor was trying to make the make MC a villain, but instead he gives petulant man-child

[Alejandra Guerrero]

It's bad. Weird sentences that aren't technically wrong but aren't quite right either abound. Like “I can take this time to use a shower”. It's not technically wrong, but I'm not sure real people would actually say something like that. Maybe if their first language isn't English. World building is half-baked at best. It certainly didn't feel very well-thought. I was confused about the logistics of a lot of things. And the few things that were clear were so patriarchal my eyes hurt from rolling them up so much.
We are told most of what happens and how the characters feel, and a lot of the time their behavior doesn't match what we're told they feel.
Kaios is insufferable, and comes off more as a petulant, selfish, and entitled child than a centuries-old, jaded god. FMC is rarely named, and all the time she's talked about as if she's nothing but a breeding mare. And then there's her POV, and I have no idea what I was supposed to think of her. She complained about being paraded in front of a bunch of men and dressed up for their benefit, and in the same breath she says she “hates her mother because of what she did to her”, which is not having other children but her. And somehow that's worse than her father forcing her to marry? WTF? The characters kept getting more and more misogynistic, and I'm tired of them.
I wanted to give it a chance, but I can't stand another page in Kaios’ head, and Etrixia wasn't any better. DNF 20%.

[Sara]

Almost everyone's worst nightmare would be being forced to marry someone they didn't choose. The one thing they forget is - fate gets what she wants and knows what she is doing. While Kaios and Etrixia may be headed towards matrimony for separate reasons, that doesn't stop them from being intrigued by the other. I loved watching Kaios shed his layers and become the person he could be.

I wondered at what drove Kaios and Etrixia's father apart and how it would never have been resolved before now. The moment the reason was revealed took my breath away. It answered so many questions, but I never saw it coming. An entertaining read and I look forward to the next story.

I received an advanced copy of this story and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Alexxx Allen]

Good plot, eh writing

The plot and character development of this book was good and overall fit well together. The concept for the universe and magic I thought were unique.
There were a few scenes that felt a bit drug out and others that were rushed through, missing opportunities for more information.
The writing style however had me a bit hung up- not bad, but not accomplished either. Over all I enjoyed the storyline enough to see it through, but a few points almost had me disinterested enough to put it in the DNF pile.

[Michelle Kowalczyk]

I really wish I could say that this was a better book than it was. It was truly a matter of the book telling me, more than showing me, how the characters felt and why they acted the way they did. The spice was fine, but the book was simultaneously too long and too short for the story it was telling.

[Stacey Woods]

I found this story very captivating. It's also hard for me to connect with both main characters from a story, usually it's one or the other. Here it's both. Kaios reminded me of a giant teddy bear. Etrixia has a bubbly personality and seems fun to be around. Overall, a fun read.

[Kendra]

Such an absolutely amazing book I love the plot twist and the danger. This book keeps you interested I found it very well written. The descriptions of characters and even places you could truly imagine while reading. I hope/look forward to reading a sequel.

[Leire Urima]

DNF at 56%, it just wasn't my cup of tea. World building was interesting, but I didn't connect with any of the characters, and I felt like their personalities were too changeable. Also, they seemed to be a little bit too self-aware of their own behaviors.

[Stacy Ryzmek]

One of Quells' best

[hailey]

the writing wasn’t the best i’ve ever read but i had fun and im emotionally attached to the main characters nothing i could say would give it justice

[Jessica Ledford]

It was ok. Took me a while to get into it. I liked the story line but just didn't like get into it

[Toula]

A fantastic paranormal fantasy about sea gods. Each god rules an ocean. But if they don’t reproduce they won’t be able to walk earth again. Yes there are betrayal , mystery and lives

[Meg Breyer]

Some major inconsistencies and plot holes, but overall pretty good

[Natalie Mundy]

A very fine book. It was okay

[Sarah]

This was such a great book. Even though the main character Kaios was portrayed as the villain, he was so likable to me! I also loved Etrixia - she was smart and was not afraid to take chances or take a stand for herself. The story took you on a great journey. I just loved everything about this book! Quell did a wonderful job keeping the story exciting and making it hard to put down. I can’t wait to read future books in this series (if there are more to come)!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dian M. Roy]

Good book

I liked the story line in this book. I loved how it came together. There were places in the book that I felt lagged a little. But truly I was pulled In and wanted to know what happened.