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Badlands #1
Savages
I am guilty of unimaginable sins, and I feel no remorse for a single one of them.
I’m the whore my people are all ashamed of. A monster forged by a world that’s cruel and corrupt.
Life has tried to break me down time and time again, but I’ve always overcome anything that fickle bitch has thrown my way.
The day I landed at the devil’s feet like some kind of weak damsel in distress, everything changed.
One taste of his sickly-sweet poison and nothing for me was ever the same again. I’ve been called lots of things.
The Devil.
Deranged.
A psychopathic savage.
It’s hard to deny any of those titles when I built an empire around them.
In my hellish paradise, we live by a code created for rebel souls. We’re sinners and thieves that make no apologies for taking whatever the fuck we want by whatever means.
When a ghost from my past falls into my hands, it’s my intention to make good use of her.
The crazy reflected in her eyes gives me other ideas. I can’t deny we’re a match made in hell.
And that changes everything.
Forewarning, our story is more than a little fucked up.
I’m the whore my people are all ashamed of. A monster forged by a world that’s cruel and corrupt.
Life has tried to break me down time and time again, but I’ve always overcome anything that fickle bitch has thrown my way.
The day I landed at the devil’s feet like some kind of weak damsel in distress, everything changed.
One taste of his sickly-sweet poison and nothing for me was ever the same again. I’ve been called lots of things.
The Devil.
Deranged.
A psychopathic savage.
It’s hard to deny any of those titles when I built an empire around them.
In my hellish paradise, we live by a code created for rebel souls. We’re sinners and thieves that make no apologies for taking whatever the fuck we want by whatever means.
When a ghost from my past falls into my hands, it’s my intention to make good use of her.
The crazy reflected in her eyes gives me other ideas. I can’t deny we’re a match made in hell.
And that changes everything.
Forewarning, our story is more than a little fucked up.
323 pages, Hardcover
First published January 16, 2018
873 people are currently reading
3874 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Bennett
111 books2,666 followersLover of all things pǝʇsıʍʇ & unusual.
I write unconventional 'romance' with strong elements of horror.
Find all my links here!
linktr.ee/AuthornatB
I write unconventional 'romance' with strong elements of horror.
Find all my links here!
linktr.ee/AuthornatB
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 376 reviews
November 8, 2021
2 Stars
I really wanted to like this more. It's been on my tbr for what feels like eons and I was excited to finally get around to it.
I love dark and twisted characters and storylines and this book had that it spades; however, the writing itself was super choppy and all over the place. I may or may not try book two as I’ve heard the series gets more addicting as you continue.
I really wanted to like this more. It's been on my tbr for what feels like eons and I was excited to finally get around to it.
I love dark and twisted characters and storylines and this book had that it spades; however, the writing itself was super choppy and all over the place. I may or may not try book two as I’ve heard the series gets more addicting as you continue.
January 22, 2018
I pretty much love anything that Natalie Bennett writes. Anyone that follows my reviews is very aware of that fact. I fangirl just about every book she writes and that I get the pleasure of reading and reviewing. And I will again be fangirling over this one. In fact, this may be my favorite Natalie Bennett book TO DATE. It was the same dark and twisted mindf-ckery that Miz Bennett is known for and then some...
~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~
It's always hard for me to review a book like this. I don't want to say too much and spoil anything but I also want to give readers a sample of what to expect. I will say that it was very well written. Like I mentioned, probably my favorite book to date from this author. The pace was fantastic. The plot was engaging and had me hooked from page one. It was dark. It was twisted. It was gritty. It was gross. It was f-cked up. It had twists and turns. Blood and gore. Pleasure and pain. and I LOVED every single minute of it. I really wish I had book two already now because I NEED to know WTF is going down.
~HERO~
Romero...he was the devil himself. A totally sexy as sin psychopath. He owned it. He didn't make any excuses for it. He reveled in it. He claimed Calista as his own right from the start. I loved him. I don't know what that says about me and I don't rightly care (lol). I can't wait until book two to see what he is hiding.
~HEROINE~
Calista...the perfect other half to Romero. Not sure out of these two which was the more f-cked up. Cali was her own brand of psycho. She didn't quite own it as much as Romero. But she was getting there. I loved her character and hope she gets the chance to exact much more revenge in the next book.
~SIDE CHARACTERS~
This one had a good cast of secondary characters. There wasn't a lot of them but the three that feature heavily were all very intriguing. I wouldn't mind seeing each one get a book. Of course, I suppose that depends on what happens to them in book two. They may not even be still breathing by the end of that one.
~HEAT LEVEL~
This one was medium hottish. The sex scenes were hot, and the frequency felt appropriate for the story. This couple had crazy hot on page chemistry and their connection was very insta-lust.
~ANGST LEVEL~
Low. I didn't find this one angsty at all. It really wasn't the type of book that uses angst to move the story along. There also wasn't any OW or OM drama.
~IN THE END~
I loved this one. I have already said that a few times in this review but it was worth mentioning again. I have a thing for dark romances. The darker and twisted they are the more I seem to enjoy them and Natalie Bennett knows her way around twisted for sure. Everything about this one from the writing itself, to the plot, to the character development, was fantastic and shows me that this author just keeps learning and improving with every book that she releases. This one gets TWO huge thumbs up from yours truly.
December 28, 2020
If I was missing some blood and disturbing shit, this book provided since the fucking prologue! Yep... I'll swear a lot in this one.
I was hooked from the fucking first page, and don't think that because of that shit, this was an easy reading, because it was not!
Take it seriously if you're really triggered, because this book took all the triggers warnings, and threw them out of the window, while fucking a dead body in a pool of someone else's blood!
Cali and Rome were a match made in hell!
I couldn't believe in their connection after just a couple of days together, but it was there!
Everything that she went through was so overwhelming and painful, that it could make anyone a little (or a lot) psychotic and maniac.
He's still a mystery to me...
We got glimpses of his madness and his murderous behavior, but we don't know anything yet about his background.
Their connection, their chemistry all the blood scenes and the sex, just filled my dark heart with pleasure and entertainment!
This book is a little messy, but it was exactly what I needed at this moment!
That fucking cliff just opened a can of rotten worms, that I'm dying to get rid off!
Thank fuck I wasn't alone in this madness!
@Duchess and @Amy are my savages!
Let's get deviant!
July 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️STARS
REVIEW COPY
Release Date-25/1/18
This book is all sorts of Craaaazy!!! It’s plenty dark and makes no apologies for itself. sickness and depravity reign supreme here. I absolutely love a dark tale, the blacker the better. I'm also a major sucker for a messed up dystopian landscape. This book was made for me melding my love of dark romances against the backdrop of the Badlands.
Calista and Romero are a match made in heaven and hell.
The devil and his darkly decedent handmaiden. This all plays out against a dystopian post-apocalyptic backdrop and it’s a nightmare world of cults, Outliers, skinners and cannibals.
Against this backdrop the king meets his queen there crazy just matches like the cracked pieces of each other's souls.
This is bloody, evil and totally sick but is also so bloody addictive I couldn't put it down. It was reminiscent of that film doomsday when they wall Scotland in and out of the ashes rises a new civilisation one where morality is a forgotten concept and only the strong survives. But amidst all of that corruption there is also a sense of brotherhood and an admiration for strength and resilience. This had some great side characters and I never had a clue where this was heading. It was an unpredictable whirlwind and I landed wherever it chose to take me. This was so different with its complete lack of moral compass. Finally check your triggers as this book is a walking red flag for all things sick and depraved. Bloody loved and devoured this I’m looking forward to the conclusion as this ended on a cliffhanger.
It’s definitely one hard-core experience and doesn't pull its punches you’ve been warned. I was provided with a review copy of "Savages (Badlands, #1)" By the author of which I have reviewed voluntary. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm.
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
July 5, 2018
Holy fuckin shit....
Lol
This was truly fucked up....
*laughing histerically*
And absolutely brilliantly sickening...
*now grinning maniacally*
And it ain't funny, people...BUT it's consistent in dark fucked up tone, maestrally written and twistedly pent up story of two broken, damaged misfits finding the twisted, messed up need for revenge against The Order, against the odds, against the dystopian, disfunctional world of destruction, anarchy and demolition...
Romero Deville, the leader of the Satanic group called The Savages, fighting against another fucked up comunity called The Order, finds seemingly sudden, yet perfect, soul mate in Calista, phisically and emotionally messed up and violated by The Order
Both seeking their own absolution, through violence and destruction in revenge, each on their on course yet bonded by the undeniable connection in pain, suffering, and physical carnal need...
And this story is NOT your average read, far from it...
it's not for everyone, especially if your taste for fucked up dark is of mild palate...lol
and yet, you can't help BUT root for them, and hope they also find their absolution...
Lol
This was truly fucked up....
*laughing histerically*
And absolutely brilliantly sickening...
*now grinning maniacally*
And it ain't funny, people...BUT it's consistent in dark fucked up tone, maestrally written and twistedly pent up story of two broken, damaged misfits finding the twisted, messed up need for revenge against The Order, against the odds, against the dystopian, disfunctional world of destruction, anarchy and demolition...
One dark damaged soul fully recognized another, reaching out and beconing to play with the other
Romero Deville, the leader of the Satanic group called The Savages, fighting against another fucked up comunity called The Order, finds seemingly sudden, yet perfect, soul mate in Calista, phisically and emotionally messed up and violated by The Order
She was my beautifully dark motherfucking queen
Both seeking their own absolution, through violence and destruction in revenge, each on their on course yet bonded by the undeniable connection in pain, suffering, and physical carnal need...
Romero was an inferno of tantalizing sin, and I wanted him branded on every inch of my skin.
He was flawlessly gorgeous on the outside, vile and revolting on the inside. He was perfection.
Love was a four-letter word neither of us had ever learned, and trust was a foreign concept we didn't know the meaning of. The odds were stacked against us on all sides of the spectrum.
We were unhealthy, dysfunctional, toxic
And this story is NOT your average read, far from it...
it's not for everyone, especially if your taste for fucked up dark is of mild palate...lol
There are no heroes to be found here, only monsters...
and yet, you can't help BUT root for them, and hope they also find their absolution...
July 30, 2025
UPDATE
: So, I just finished the final book…. and this is why I usually like to wait until I’ve finished reading everything before I even write my first review – things can change so much. I am leaving this original review
UNCHANGED
(with the exception of the triggers), but adding an update below. PLEASE READ THE UPDATE.
I swear to Christ - I am SHOOK. I can't even wrap my head around this book. I devoured it like a crackhead.
THIS BOOK IS NOT SAFE. I can't stress this enough. If I'm telling you it's not safe.... listen to me. There isn't a single line that isn't crossed in this book and it's heavy on the satanic stuff. I couldn't find ANY trigger warnings in the Kindle version, so be sure you read mine.
Damn.... I'm still stroking out. The cliffhanger this ends on had me canceling my plans for the night so I could devour Book 2. I haven't finished this series yet, so this will be updated eventually.
The world has experienced some sort of apocalyptic event (imagine Handmaids Tale, though we don't have any idea why/how/what exactly happened), and now if you live outside the gates of Centriole, it's every person for themselves in the Badlands.
Calista (23, beautifully insane, dark, maleficent queen) was raised in her father's religious cult of pedophiles, The Order. She was used by everyone until she was cast out (for reasons unknown). She wants revenge against the ones who hurt her, things happen, and she ends up trying to infiltrate a group of people who is most capable of helping her find David (her father, leader of The Order).
Romero Deville (unhinged, definitely bipolar) is the devil - and the leader of the Savages (Satanic cult). He, along with his two insane "brothers", Grimm and Cobra, are also looking for David. They spend their days capturing the cult members, torturing them in ALL the ways, and then killing them.
When Romero & Calista meet for the first time - it's INSTA. I would say the stars align, but it's so much more twisted than that.
Things happen and..... stabbing, cannibals, Arlen, madness, Satan, burn pit, pictures, new names, memories, frying fingers, snuff films, rituals, sacrifices, betrayals, and a cliffhanger that TOOK. ME. OUT .
Seriously..... I'm gobsmacked. There were some issues, but this hands down gets 5-stars for how it grabbed me by the throat from the start and held me down until the end.
SEX: Fuck! Yes! Raw, filthy, dirty, and delicious. First time at 38% and there were so many more times after that. There are no condoms - duh, it's the fucking end of the world. Who wants to ruin good sex with those?!?! Our boy and his pierced cock took me to places I've never even imagined. Scrumptious!
INSTA: Like I said, it's insta for these two. I know some of you don't believe in it - but I do. Especially because like attracts like.
MCs: Calista is IT. I love her. She's a fucking survivor! Girlfriend isn't quite right in the head, but can you blame her? I couldn't survive the things she did. Romero?! Baby is on my top 10 list. I want a man who loves me that violently! "Touch her and die" isn't a strong enough phrase to describe what this man gives us. Damn. You need to know that our boy is CRAZY and I'm pretty positive bipolar because his mood swings are killer.
ISSUES: There were a few - not enough to change my love for the book, but some I'm going to mention anyway. It looks like this was originally published in 2018 and then rereleased. I wish the author had given it a few tweaks. There are a few formatting issues that made things confusing as hell. It would have helped to have the name of the person whose POV we were reading. Sometimes you'd have to get several lines in before you could figure it out. There were times when you wouldn't know who was speaking. There would be multiple people in the room and a line could have literally applied to any of them, and I'd have no idea who it was. Definitely wish I knew how the apocalypse happened, but maybe that's in book 2? There were some other small issues, but I can't remember them right now. The typos and grammatic issues are crazy.
TRIGGERS: Y'all know me by now. You know the kinds of books I read and that there are very few things that trigger me. Even on my scale of fucked up, this is FUCKED. UP. I can honestly say the triggers will have the majority of you not proceeding. Be warned.
.
I definitely recommend it - if you think you can handle it.
UPDATE : Book 4
I've finished this series and it was a mistake. Don't let the 5-star review of this book fool you.
While I loved and worshipped Book 1 - everything that came after was a complete shitshow. You will get NO answers. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Every single thing that builds up just ends with no resolution. Imagine driving 100 down the highway knowing that all the answers are at the next turn, except you get to the turn and speed right past it - and you're looking in the rearview mirror thinking wait - but then you never stop and turn around. You just zip right past it all. WHAT THE FUCK. I know the author put these books out with new covers - too bad she didn't actually read what she wrote and fixed all the shit that was broken. Can't say I'm inclined to read anything else she writes again.
UPDATE : Book 2
While Book 1 took me on a completely unexpected and wild ride, Book 2 offered almost nothing of substance. Where I was ready to claim this is a Must Read before – now I’m about 50/50 on recommending it.
I’m going to put the specifics in my Book 2 review, with the exception of the triggers.
I’ll summarize by saying B2 is about 80% internal monologue, 80% torture scenes, 80% sex scenes, and absolutely 0% of my questions were answered. Trust me – the math maths.
UPDATE : Book 3
Book 3 is Grimm & Arlen's story. While Book 1 had a good balance for me, Book 2 was way too much gore and not enough of the other stuff. Book 3 took us way back - almost no gore, not nearly enough revenge, not enough sex, but def stepped up on sweet love. It's wild how drastically different the books are. I enjoyed Book 3, just wish it was MORE.
I swear to Christ - I am SHOOK. I can't even wrap my head around this book. I devoured it like a crackhead.
I didn’t know a dove was going to land amongst the crows, and while her white feathers represented purity, her precious black heart gave life to a beautifully insidious soul.
THIS BOOK IS NOT SAFE. I can't stress this enough. If I'm telling you it's not safe.... listen to me. There isn't a single line that isn't crossed in this book and it's heavy on the satanic stuff. I couldn't find ANY trigger warnings in the Kindle version, so be sure you read mine.
Damn.... I'm still stroking out. The cliffhanger this ends on had me canceling my plans for the night so I could devour Book 2. I haven't finished this series yet, so this will be updated eventually.
The world has experienced some sort of apocalyptic event (imagine Handmaids Tale, though we don't have any idea why/how/what exactly happened), and now if you live outside the gates of Centriole, it's every person for themselves in the Badlands.
Calista (23, beautifully insane, dark, maleficent queen) was raised in her father's religious cult of pedophiles, The Order. She was used by everyone until she was cast out (for reasons unknown). She wants revenge against the ones who hurt her, things happen, and she ends up trying to infiltrate a group of people who is most capable of helping her find David (her father, leader of The Order).
Romero Deville (unhinged, definitely bipolar) is the devil - and the leader of the Savages (Satanic cult). He, along with his two insane "brothers", Grimm and Cobra, are also looking for David. They spend their days capturing the cult members, torturing them in ALL the ways, and then killing them.
When Romero & Calista meet for the first time - it's INSTA. I would say the stars align, but it's so much more twisted than that.
The powerful frequency between us had our souls fucking before we ever touched..... ...... ......It felt instinctive, like breathing. It was completely unexpected and unexplainable. He made me feel so much inside my chest, feel things that were indefinable.
Things happen and..... stabbing, cannibals, Arlen, madness, Satan, burn pit, pictures, new names, memories, frying fingers, snuff films, rituals, sacrifices, betrayals, and a cliffhanger that TOOK. ME. OUT .
Cali was the last thing I needed to deal with right now. She was an unstable hurricane threatening to destroy everything in her path. Any sane man would have run for cover, but I had never fucking been sane and I’d always had a thing for storms.
Seriously..... I'm gobsmacked. There were some issues, but this hands down gets 5-stars for how it grabbed me by the throat from the start and held me down until the end.
SEX: Fuck! Yes! Raw, filthy, dirty, and delicious. First time at 38% and there were so many more times after that. There are no condoms - duh, it's the fucking end of the world. Who wants to ruin good sex with those?!?! Our boy and his pierced cock took me to places I've never even imagined. Scrumptious!
INSTA: Like I said, it's insta for these two. I know some of you don't believe in it - but I do. Especially because like attracts like.
MCs: Calista is IT. I love her. She's a fucking survivor! Girlfriend isn't quite right in the head, but can you blame her? I couldn't survive the things she did. Romero?! Baby is on my top 10 list. I want a man who loves me that violently! "Touch her and die" isn't a strong enough phrase to describe what this man gives us. Damn. You need to know that our boy is CRAZY and I'm pretty positive bipolar because his mood swings are killer.
ISSUES: There were a few - not enough to change my love for the book, but some I'm going to mention anyway. It looks like this was originally published in 2018 and then rereleased. I wish the author had given it a few tweaks. There are a few formatting issues that made things confusing as hell. It would have helped to have the name of the person whose POV we were reading. Sometimes you'd have to get several lines in before you could figure it out. There were times when you wouldn't know who was speaking. There would be multiple people in the room and a line could have literally applied to any of them, and I'd have no idea who it was. Definitely wish I knew how the apocalypse happened, but maybe that's in book 2? There were some other small issues, but I can't remember them right now. The typos and grammatic issues are crazy.
TRIGGERS: Y'all know me by now. You know the kinds of books I read and that there are very few things that trigger me. Even on my scale of fucked up, this is FUCKED. UP. I can honestly say the triggers will have the majority of you not proceeding. Be warned.
.
I definitely recommend it - if you think you can handle it.
Maybe that was the way relationships were meant to be, indefinable with unbreakable bonds. No words were needed to convey what our warped hearts already knew. I was his, and he was mine.
UPDATE : Book 4
I've finished this series and it was a mistake. Don't let the 5-star review of this book fool you.
While I loved and worshipped Book 1 - everything that came after was a complete shitshow. You will get NO answers. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Every single thing that builds up just ends with no resolution. Imagine driving 100 down the highway knowing that all the answers are at the next turn, except you get to the turn and speed right past it - and you're looking in the rearview mirror thinking wait - but then you never stop and turn around. You just zip right past it all. WHAT THE FUCK. I know the author put these books out with new covers - too bad she didn't actually read what she wrote and fixed all the shit that was broken. Can't say I'm inclined to read anything else she writes again.
UPDATE : Book 2
While Book 1 took me on a completely unexpected and wild ride, Book 2 offered almost nothing of substance. Where I was ready to claim this is a Must Read before – now I’m about 50/50 on recommending it.
I’m going to put the specifics in my Book 2 review, with the exception of the triggers.
I’ll summarize by saying B2 is about 80% internal monologue, 80% torture scenes, 80% sex scenes, and absolutely 0% of my questions were answered. Trust me – the math maths.
UPDATE : Book 3
Book 3 is Grimm & Arlen's story. While Book 1 had a good balance for me, Book 2 was way too much gore and not enough of the other stuff. Book 3 took us way back - almost no gore, not nearly enough revenge, not enough sex, but def stepped up on sweet love. It's wild how drastically different the books are. I enjoyed Book 3, just wish it was MORE.
December 20, 2020
I have no idea what the hell is happening to the world in this book. Is it current day? Or is it dystopian? Post apocalyptic? Urban fantasy? We were lost inside this jungle where cannibalism, murder and incest were common; following a girl who's hell bent on revenge.
I am the monster they created. I’m the whore they’re ashamed of.
They took my heaven away.
Now, I would bring them hell.
Needless to say, this book is exactly what I'm looking for. It was fucked up, torture galore, gory, bloody and freaking hot. No one in this book is pure, naive or kind. The male lead is cruel, sadistic, possessive and overall crazy. The girl was no different. The chemistry of craziness was off the chart with these two characters. Like real crazy. Like being a duo in killing a priest crazy.
And what I really love about them is how unapologetic they were.
She was mine. I wasn’t letting her go even when it was all said and done and she hated my fucking guts—because she would. That was inevitable. I destroyed everything good that I touched. She’d just have to hate me with her pussy sitting on my face.
Onto the next one!
I am the monster they created. I’m the whore they’re ashamed of.
They took my heaven away.
Now, I would bring them hell.
Needless to say, this book is exactly what I'm looking for. It was fucked up, torture galore, gory, bloody and freaking hot. No one in this book is pure, naive or kind. The male lead is cruel, sadistic, possessive and overall crazy. The girl was no different. The chemistry of craziness was off the chart with these two characters. Like real crazy. Like being a duo in killing a priest crazy.
And what I really love about them is how unapologetic they were.
She was mine. I wasn’t letting her go even when it was all said and done and she hated my fucking guts—because she would. That was inevitable. I destroyed everything good that I touched. She’d just have to hate me with her pussy sitting on my face.
Onto the next one!
Want to read
January 24, 2018That cover!
October 12, 2021
Savages has been on my radar for many years but it was so out of my comfort zone that I have avoided it. So while I was yet again searching for a crazy female lead this book showed up and this time I decided to dive right in and I'm so happy that I did. I completely devoured this book in one sitting and while there were things that were gross, honestly it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Calista and Romero were awesome together and while it was insta everything I liked it. I will admit that I was confused at times and it does end on a cliffhanger but lucky me I already downloaded book 2. Overall while it's not hearts and flowers it definitely held my attention.
March 22, 2019
4.5 Stars!
January 31, 2022
Rating: 3.4 / 5
Well, er....that was something else.
But seeing as I read through it way faster than I expected, I have to give it at least partial credit for...whatever the author thought she was doing.
I'd pretty much sum it up as being 45% gore and 45% smut, with all 90% of that being strictly taboo, insane, and dredged up from the darkest corners of human imagination.
However, that does leave us with only 10% plot, which is...*winces* not a lot.
Seeing as I'm not convinced that this author's intention was to go in the way of plot for this book though, I can't rate it any lower than I have.
Is this a read for very few people? Um...yeah.
Does it cater to more than a few extremist BDSM + taboo fetishists? Oh, absolutely.
And ultimately, seeing as I got through it quickly and all, is there anything bad about it?
Um...well, apart from the stuff that's supposed to be bad, I'd actually say no. It's messed up, toxic, twisted, and triggering, of course, but personally I'm detached enough not to let that stuff get to me or get in the way of a good story.
If the story's there, of course.
So yeah, while there's a bit of a plot hidden between the pages of what is otherwise fine writing and vivid (overly so, in some cases) descriptions of gore and smut and gore + smut, it isn't worthwhile enough to pursue it across more books of this series.
Just assume that this is the kind of literature you'll find in hell's library, m'kay?
Well, er....that was something else.
But seeing as I read through it way faster than I expected, I have to give it at least partial credit for...whatever the author thought she was doing.
I'd pretty much sum it up as being 45% gore and 45% smut, with all 90% of that being strictly taboo, insane, and dredged up from the darkest corners of human imagination.
However, that does leave us with only 10% plot, which is...*winces* not a lot.
Seeing as I'm not convinced that this author's intention was to go in the way of plot for this book though, I can't rate it any lower than I have.
Is this a read for very few people? Um...yeah.
Does it cater to more than a few extremist BDSM + taboo fetishists? Oh, absolutely.
And ultimately, seeing as I got through it quickly and all, is there anything bad about it?
Um...well, apart from the stuff that's supposed to be bad, I'd actually say no. It's messed up, toxic, twisted, and triggering, of course, but personally I'm detached enough not to let that stuff get to me or get in the way of a good story.
If the story's there, of course.
So yeah, while there's a bit of a plot hidden between the pages of what is otherwise fine writing and vivid (overly so, in some cases) descriptions of gore and smut and gore + smut, it isn't worthwhile enough to pursue it across more books of this series.
Just assume that this is the kind of literature you'll find in hell's library, m'kay?
January 15, 2021
I am going to be in minority here but I didn't like it. It was a jumbled mess of sex, blood, sex in blood and blood during sex. And as much as the deranged parts of my mind appreciate all of that, I need a good plot to go along with all the gore. The plot development took place at nearly 74%!! And even that was flakey, rushed and unclear.
The story just felt flat, I couldn't connect to any of the characters, and I felt confused during half of the story cuz many things weren't mentioned properly. I sometimes, had to read a page/paragraph 2-3 times to understand the how, when, why and who.
The insta-love that happened with Rome and Cali was so damn sudden and unbelievable (atleast from Rome's side....I couldn't understand why he would be so attracted to Cali). Cali was annoying tbh. She considered herself to be this maniacal psycho bitch who could murder anyone but she wasn't shit without Romero. Atleast, he planned stuff. He is much more likeable than Cali, i can tell that.
It is set in a post-apocalyptic world and I didn't know that. It's mentioned nowhere. I don't read that genre so it wasn't a pleasant feeling to discover the setting of the story 😔
This isn't dark in general... it's just descriptive murder and torture. Kudos to the author for imagining all the creative ways to present blood and gore but unfortunately, this isn't the darkest thing i have read.
Also, last but not the least, all the poetic stuff about being the devil and monstrous severely clashed with the badass setting. Atleast for me.
Needless to say, this book wasn't for me. I will read the next book for closure but I am pretty sure I am gonna just skim it. 🥀
The story just felt flat, I couldn't connect to any of the characters, and I felt confused during half of the story cuz many things weren't mentioned properly. I sometimes, had to read a page/paragraph 2-3 times to understand the how, when, why and who.
The insta-love that happened with Rome and Cali was so damn sudden and unbelievable (atleast from Rome's side....I couldn't understand why he would be so attracted to Cali). Cali was annoying tbh. She considered herself to be this maniacal psycho bitch who could murder anyone but she wasn't shit without Romero. Atleast, he planned stuff. He is much more likeable than Cali, i can tell that.
It is set in a post-apocalyptic world and I didn't know that. It's mentioned nowhere. I don't read that genre so it wasn't a pleasant feeling to discover the setting of the story 😔
This isn't dark in general... it's just descriptive murder and torture. Kudos to the author for imagining all the creative ways to present blood and gore but unfortunately, this isn't the darkest thing i have read.
Also, last but not the least, all the poetic stuff about being the devil and monstrous severely clashed with the badass setting. Atleast for me.
Needless to say, this book wasn't for me. I will read the next book for closure but I am pretty sure I am gonna just skim it. 🥀
June 30, 2018
Well.... this one's hard to rate. This one's been tagged a few times as "dark", but I don't think it's dark so much as COMPLETELY FREAKING INSANE,VIOLENT and CRAZY. I spent the majority of this book shaking my head with my mouth hanging open. There was a whole lot of death and lost limbs... some very gruesome deaths. There's even a little cannibalism, satanism, and cults thrown in for good measure along with a fun game of Russian Roulette with a gun stuck up a vajayjay. I've read some crazy books... but even this one was too much for me. I finished it, but honestly I don't have the stomach to continue to book 2. That being said... if you have the stomach for very gruesome violence and love you some crazy ass insane characters then you'll probably enjoy this one. I will say this new to me author has quite an imagination! I kinda picture her though sitting in a padded room swatting at imaginary creatures flying around her head as she wrote this. Maybe singing some diabolical nursery rhymes and drinking bloody mary's with a cigarette hanging out her mouth. And listening to death metal.
April 18, 2022
I read this series back in 2019 and decided to re-read before starting their kid’s spinoff. I can’t stress enough that this series is dark and VIOLENT. It takes place in a dystopian society. The best way I can explain without giving spoilers is imagine a world similar to Mad Max or The Warriors then picture the inhabitants a mash of Natural Born Killers, American Psycho, A Clockwork Orange, se7en with a hint of Saw. Including cannibals, psychos, pedophiles, and skin traders. There’s violence, loads of torture, and rape (mainly off-page), most is directed at the bad guys. There’s also a heavy reference to satanic-ish cult-like groups. IMO, you really need to be a reader that can connect from a distance (like a horror film) and not realistically or it could be too much.
His beauty was the best illusion I had ever seen. Whoever taught him how to mask his true nature had done a phenomenal job.
If you have that kind of tolerance there’s a story of brotherhood and broken love in-between all the violence. I would not call this a romance; it does follow Cali and Rome, two abused, jaded, totally fucked up people and their journey to their “love” but there’s nothing sweet about it. It’s actually borderline abusive choking, cutting, being rough, but the females are always into it.
“Cali is his beautifully insane, dark, maleficent queen.” He sighed dramatically and looked to the ceiling. “Even the devil needs love.”
Romero Deville is the king of the Savages. He rules his twisted empire with his 2 brothers (not related) Grimm and Cobra. The first 2 books follow Cali and Rome. (this one ends in a cliffy) and the last 2 are Grimm’s and Cobra’s. I believe she says books 3 & 4 can be read as standalones, but I wouldn’t recommend it because the storylines and characters follow throughout. She does have a short recap at the start of each book and usually the epilogue of the previous one.
Bottom Line- They are all free on KU, and uber violent, but it sure does suck you in. There’s loads of action and sex that keeps the book going full speed the entire time. It’s super depraved, but I find fictional crazy people entertaining. The mc’s suffer horrible abuse, but they all handle it with getting revenge…violently… there’s unrealistically no real emotional baggage or trauma.
******original review July 25 2019********
This is a dark story, brutal, painful and violent. Calista and Romero are both dark and broken, and they recognize that in each other. Their demons play very well with each other.
Savages is set in a dystopian type world full of killers, cults, cannibals and much more. Badlands is a part of that world where only the strong survives and anarchy reigns. Romero and Calista are the main characters who both are damaged and broken from the horrible things they have gone through to survive making them deranged, crazy and sick in the head, but also the perfect screwed up couple. Romero is the king of the Savages who rules the Badlands, and is also known as the devil. He knows as soon as he sees Calista she will be his queen. “She was my beautiful dark mother freaking queen.
His beauty was the best illusion I had ever seen. Whoever taught him how to mask his true nature had done a phenomenal job.
If you have that kind of tolerance there’s a story of brotherhood and broken love in-between all the violence. I would not call this a romance; it does follow Cali and Rome, two abused, jaded, totally fucked up people and their journey to their “love” but there’s nothing sweet about it. It’s actually borderline abusive choking, cutting, being rough, but the females are always into it.
“Cali is his beautifully insane, dark, maleficent queen.” He sighed dramatically and looked to the ceiling. “Even the devil needs love.”
Romero Deville is the king of the Savages. He rules his twisted empire with his 2 brothers (not related) Grimm and Cobra. The first 2 books follow Cali and Rome. (this one ends in a cliffy) and the last 2 are Grimm’s and Cobra’s. I believe she says books 3 & 4 can be read as standalones, but I wouldn’t recommend it because the storylines and characters follow throughout. She does have a short recap at the start of each book and usually the epilogue of the previous one.
Bottom Line- They are all free on KU, and uber violent, but it sure does suck you in. There’s loads of action and sex that keeps the book going full speed the entire time. It’s super depraved, but I find fictional crazy people entertaining. The mc’s suffer horrible abuse, but they all handle it with getting revenge…violently… there’s unrealistically no real emotional baggage or trauma.
******original review July 25 2019********
This is a dark story, brutal, painful and violent. Calista and Romero are both dark and broken, and they recognize that in each other. Their demons play very well with each other.
Savages is set in a dystopian type world full of killers, cults, cannibals and much more. Badlands is a part of that world where only the strong survives and anarchy reigns. Romero and Calista are the main characters who both are damaged and broken from the horrible things they have gone through to survive making them deranged, crazy and sick in the head, but also the perfect screwed up couple. Romero is the king of the Savages who rules the Badlands, and is also known as the devil. He knows as soon as he sees Calista she will be his queen. “She was my beautiful dark mother freaking queen.
July 22, 2025
5⭐️ (updated rating because Mysti was unimpressed that I deducted a whole star for the cover) xoxoxo
Raise your hand if you want to go on a relaxation retreat with me? We can wear matching outfits (hospital gowns), we can have deep chats about life (during group therapy), and we can definitely bond over this book (in a nicely padded room). Total vibes
I finished this story in one go, because like everyone else, I too, was in the mood for some late night light romance steeped heavily in sin and cult worship.
I was still staring into two black holes with endless depth. I saw sorrow, pain, and so much anger sunken within them that it was almost like looking in a mirror—a shattered mirror with jagged edges. I smiled. I was a bloody, muddy mess, but I smiled, and he smiled back.
Cali - Our pale blonde homicidal angel with devil horns has an axe to grind and a hit list longer than the Bible. I really wanted - no, NEEDED her character to emanate unrepressed rage and a cold, nihilistic thirst for vengeance instead, she came off like an unhinged county clown with a screw loose. I didn’t hate her, I just feel like there was a slight disconnect between her personality when she was at Tito’s and when she was at Romero’s.
Romero - the devil in our dystopian fever dream. Leader of the Savages, he’s basically temptation and unresolved anger issues wrapped in a tattooed, rage fuelled package. He could probably kill you 52 different ways with a thumbtack and claim it’s better than a gun because it “doesn’t mess with the creative juju” - or whatever. Honestly, Picasso would be jealous… I know I am.
I really fucking vibed with this dystopian wasteland because honestly, where else are you gonna find two cults basically battling it out for the heavyweight title of “Most Bodies Brutalized in a Single Sitting,” all while some random Hills Have Eyes style cannibal hillbilly family crashes the party for their chaotic 15 minutes of fame?
Leave your morals at the door, ladies and germs - the trigger warnings read like a fucking two part Bible verse, and there’s enough hot, unhinged SEX on every page to make a nun spontaneously combust. 🤪
All I know now is that I LITERALLY need more, especially because that cliffhanger was chronic. My one issue? The pacing was a little too staggered at times and I felt like I needed to backtrack more than once to figure out who’s twisted little POV I was reading from. A few of the characters didn’t really have their ✨moment✨, they were introduced like they were about the change the game, then vanished like a second rate NPC. But listen - I am clinging to the belief that the next book gets even more deranged, MORE depraved, and WAAAAY more detailed… because if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that there’s no trigger warning too dark for the Hell I call ✨taste✨
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m just gonna go ahead and state the obvious: crackhead Harley Quinn on the cover??? Yeah… that’s literally not it. Be gone, creature of my nightmares. ✨thank yew✨
Raise your hand if you want to go on a relaxation retreat with me? We can wear matching outfits (hospital gowns), we can have deep chats about life (during group therapy), and we can definitely bond over this book (in a nicely padded room). Total vibes
I finished this story in one go, because like everyone else, I too, was in the mood for some late night light romance steeped heavily in sin and cult worship.
I was still staring into two black holes with endless depth. I saw sorrow, pain, and so much anger sunken within them that it was almost like looking in a mirror—a shattered mirror with jagged edges. I smiled. I was a bloody, muddy mess, but I smiled, and he smiled back.
Cali - Our pale blonde homicidal angel with devil horns has an axe to grind and a hit list longer than the Bible. I really wanted - no, NEEDED her character to emanate unrepressed rage and a cold, nihilistic thirst for vengeance instead, she came off like an unhinged county clown with a screw loose. I didn’t hate her, I just feel like there was a slight disconnect between her personality when she was at Tito’s and when she was at Romero’s.
Romero - the devil in our dystopian fever dream. Leader of the Savages, he’s basically temptation and unresolved anger issues wrapped in a tattooed, rage fuelled package. He could probably kill you 52 different ways with a thumbtack and claim it’s better than a gun because it “doesn’t mess with the creative juju” - or whatever. Honestly, Picasso would be jealous… I know I am.
I really fucking vibed with this dystopian wasteland because honestly, where else are you gonna find two cults basically battling it out for the heavyweight title of “Most Bodies Brutalized in a Single Sitting,” all while some random Hills Have Eyes style cannibal hillbilly family crashes the party for their chaotic 15 minutes of fame?
Leave your morals at the door, ladies and germs - the trigger warnings read like a fucking two part Bible verse, and there’s enough hot, unhinged SEX on every page to make a nun spontaneously combust. 🤪
All I know now is that I LITERALLY need more, especially because that cliffhanger was chronic. My one issue? The pacing was a little too staggered at times and I felt like I needed to backtrack more than once to figure out who’s twisted little POV I was reading from. A few of the characters didn’t really have their ✨moment✨, they were introduced like they were about the change the game, then vanished like a second rate NPC. But listen - I am clinging to the belief that the next book gets even more deranged, MORE depraved, and WAAAAY more detailed… because if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that there’s no trigger warning too dark for the Hell I call ✨taste✨
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m just gonna go ahead and state the obvious: crackhead Harley Quinn on the cover??? Yeah… that’s literally not it. Be gone, creature of my nightmares. ✨thank yew✨
July 21, 2025
My Rating: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Series Status: Already cracked open book two. I'm ride or die for these psychos.
We Have:
✅ M/F Romance
✅ Insta-Lust
✅ Psychos in Love
✅ Gore, Knife Play, Blood Play - All the play
✅ Cannibalism (not the MCs but… still)
✅ Cult Shit
✅ Unaliving Galore
✅ Abuse, Violence, Vengeance
✅ Plot That’s There… Somewhere
✅ Ends on a Cliffhanger
✅ Zero Apologies, Zero Morals, Maximum Mayhem
This book is fucked up. And I mean that in the best possible way.
I thought I had a good handle on dark romance, but Savages said “oh honey, you’re adorable” and then handed me gore, blood-soaked sex, cult vibes, and characters who treat murder like foreplay. I ate this up like a five-course meal with a side of fava beans..... But I’m a bubbles girl, so I washed it down with prosecco instead of chianti. No regrets.
Romero and Cali are two of the most twisted main characters I’ve ever read—but here's the thing...is they fucking own it. There’s no shame, no redemption arc, no soft spot waiting to be healed. Just chaos, blood, and chemistry. Their relationship is all knives and necrosis, and somehow it works. They’re horrible. I love them.
This book is Natural Born Killers meets occult carnage with a side of oh-shit-that-was-hot. There’s murder, torture, unhinged sexual tension, and yes—cannibalism (not the MCs but like… it’s there, and it’s fucking gross). The smut is filthy, the gore is constant, and every scene feels like foreplay for the end of the world. There’s even a revenge plot and a kinda-sorta good deed moment wrapped inside all the madness.
Ayyyyeee this fucking plot tho.... surprisingly not bad. It’s there, hiding under the blood and chaos. I’m curious where it’s going, which is wild considering I spent half the book with one brow raised and the other twitching. It ends on a cliffhanger, so naturally I dove into book two like the feral trash panda I am.
This book is not for the faint of heart. It’s savage, sadistic, and absolutely unhinged—but if you’ve ever found yourself rooting for the villains and laughing through the carnage, you might feel right at home. Just… check the trigger warnings. And maybe don’t read it while eating.
Series Status: Already cracked open book two. I'm ride or die for these psychos.
We Have:
✅ M/F Romance
✅ Insta-Lust
✅ Psychos in Love
✅ Gore, Knife Play, Blood Play - All the play
✅ Cannibalism (not the MCs but… still)
✅ Cult Shit
✅ Unaliving Galore
✅ Abuse, Violence, Vengeance
✅ Plot That’s There… Somewhere
✅ Ends on a Cliffhanger
✅ Zero Apologies, Zero Morals, Maximum Mayhem
This book is fucked up. And I mean that in the best possible way.
I thought I had a good handle on dark romance, but Savages said “oh honey, you’re adorable” and then handed me gore, blood-soaked sex, cult vibes, and characters who treat murder like foreplay. I ate this up like a five-course meal with a side of fava beans..... But I’m a bubbles girl, so I washed it down with prosecco instead of chianti. No regrets.
Romero and Cali are two of the most twisted main characters I’ve ever read—but here's the thing...is they fucking own it. There’s no shame, no redemption arc, no soft spot waiting to be healed. Just chaos, blood, and chemistry. Their relationship is all knives and necrosis, and somehow it works. They’re horrible. I love them.
This book is Natural Born Killers meets occult carnage with a side of oh-shit-that-was-hot. There’s murder, torture, unhinged sexual tension, and yes—cannibalism (not the MCs but like… it’s there, and it’s fucking gross). The smut is filthy, the gore is constant, and every scene feels like foreplay for the end of the world. There’s even a revenge plot and a kinda-sorta good deed moment wrapped inside all the madness.
Ayyyyeee this fucking plot tho.... surprisingly not bad. It’s there, hiding under the blood and chaos. I’m curious where it’s going, which is wild considering I spent half the book with one brow raised and the other twitching. It ends on a cliffhanger, so naturally I dove into book two like the feral trash panda I am.
This book is not for the faint of heart. It’s savage, sadistic, and absolutely unhinged—but if you’ve ever found yourself rooting for the villains and laughing through the carnage, you might feel right at home. Just… check the trigger warnings. And maybe don’t read it while eating.
January 16, 2024
Genre: Romantic Horror
Type: Book 1 of Badlands series
POV: First Person - Dual (Primarily female)
Rating:
Since she was a little girl, Calista has endured a multitude of challenges. But nothing could prepare her when she caught the attention of the notorious Romero Deville.
Calista and Romero were a couple made from the fiery depth of hell. While both were insane, they each had their own level of depravity. I also loved the supporting characters and the dynamics.
The graphic story was paired with scorching sexy scenes. While the world-building could be better, I enjoyed the overall story and am intrigued by where it’s heading next.
Savages is a story of power and vengeance. It would appeal to readers who enjoy unhinged characters in a dystopian setting.
Book in the series:
🔘☢️🔘. . . (F)BR with Twinsie CC . . .🔘☢️🔘
For more reviews/interviews/book talk/promo visit:
For graphics, trailers & author services visit Warhawke Design Studio.
Type: Book 1 of Badlands series
POV: First Person - Dual (Primarily female)
Rating:
Since she was a little girl, Calista has endured a multitude of challenges. But nothing could prepare her when she caught the attention of the notorious Romero Deville.
Calista and Romero were a couple made from the fiery depth of hell. While both were insane, they each had their own level of depravity. I also loved the supporting characters and the dynamics.
He was born sick.
I was fucked in the head.
Together, we were Savages.
The graphic story was paired with scorching sexy scenes. While the world-building could be better, I enjoyed the overall story and am intrigued by where it’s heading next.
Savages is a story of power and vengeance. It would appeal to readers who enjoy unhinged characters in a dystopian setting.
Book in the series:
🔘☢️🔘. . . (F)BR with Twinsie CC . . .🔘☢️🔘
For more reviews/interviews/book talk/promo visit:
For graphics, trailers & author services visit Warhawke Design Studio.
June 20, 2021
1.5/2 stars - I literally don’t get why this has such a high rating. Very insta love, there was no world building whatsoever so I was so confused about the society they live in, and the writing was pretty cringe. Very much feels like a mediocre fanfic.
Author didn’t want to put specific trigger warnings in her blurb so see trigger warnings below. Notice that I literally skimmed through the last 30% so I might have missed some.
The plot was pretty much about one cult-like group (The Order) murdering and raping people and another cult-like group (The Savages) murdering and raping the other cultists as revenge. Entire book is pretty much torture scenes with smut thrown in (and not good in my opinion).
Tropes: revenge, cults, dystopian society, lots of torture and gory stuff, lots of murder
TW: (incestious) rape scenes, mention of pedophilic rape, mention of rape, graphic torture scenes, cannibalism
Author didn’t want to put specific trigger warnings in her blurb so see trigger warnings below. Notice that I literally skimmed through the last 30% so I might have missed some.
The plot was pretty much about one cult-like group (The Order) murdering and raping people and another cult-like group (The Savages) murdering and raping the other cultists as revenge. Entire book is pretty much torture scenes with smut thrown in (and not good in my opinion).
Tropes: revenge, cults, dystopian society, lots of torture and gory stuff, lots of murder
TW: (incestious) rape scenes, mention of pedophilic rape, mention of rape, graphic torture scenes, cannibalism
December 9, 2017
Holy shit this book is hot as hell hands down. It is not for the faint of heart, this book is pretty graphic,and very tense. My heart way pounding with all the suspense. I'm seriously fanning myself over Romero🖤
The cliff is huge, so I'm definitely dying to find out what's HAPPENING!!!!
Thanks Natalie for another fantastic read, and for letting me read this early. You are absolutely amazing!
The cliff is huge, so I'm definitely dying to find out what's HAPPENING!!!!
Thanks Natalie for another fantastic read, and for letting me read this early. You are absolutely amazing!
February 28, 2019
WHOA. FUCK MEEEE. I can’t stop smiling. What kind of fuckery is this!? I giggled while people were dismembered and tortured. And I don’t feel bad about it at all. Fucking loved it actually. The Walking Dead (-zombies) + Natural Born Killers + True Romance x 1000. So bad. And SO HOT. This was one mouth watering bite of twisty sadistic sexy fucked up sandwich and I am starving for more....nom nom nom. 👅
January 23, 2024
4.5★
After fleeing the deviant world of The Order, Calista is thrust into navigating the Savages with Romero DeVille at the helm. Though Calista knows who Rome is, she is unaware of his motives and who to ultimately trust.
Narrated in dual POV, Calista acts purely on her emotions and without a filter, which was liberating and crazy at times. As a result, there was never a dull moment with her. Rome is powerful and rightfully earned his place, plus he is sex incarnate. Together, they are hot AF.
As plot points are revealed, the chase for revenge fuels Cali and Rome in a world where factions are vying for power and resources are limited. Though, I would have liked to know a bit more about the origin of the Badlands. With a cliffy, the journey continues in book two and I will be continuing to see how it all ends.
Savages is about survival in a dark and twisted world of extreme conditions.
*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey*
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
After fleeing the deviant world of The Order, Calista is thrust into navigating the Savages with Romero DeVille at the helm. Though Calista knows who Rome is, she is unaware of his motives and who to ultimately trust.
“That pretty little head of hers was full of a festering sickness. When she finally broke free of her chrysalis, she would be fucking incredible.”
Narrated in dual POV, Calista acts purely on her emotions and without a filter, which was liberating and crazy at times. As a result, there was never a dull moment with her. Rome is powerful and rightfully earned his place, plus he is sex incarnate. Together, they are hot AF.
As plot points are revealed, the chase for revenge fuels Cali and Rome in a world where factions are vying for power and resources are limited. Though, I would have liked to know a bit more about the origin of the Badlands. With a cliffy, the journey continues in book two and I will be continuing to see how it all ends.
Savages is about survival in a dark and twisted world of extreme conditions.
*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey*
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
March 4, 2018
Craaaaaa-zy!
As a lover all things dark, Savages checked every box and probably more for me. Natalie Bennett brings it on, all except for an ending, but hey, I'm even fine with that for now. I was a little apprehensive to read this book, because I wasn't a huge fan of another Natalie Bennett dark series, UltraViolence. Maybe it's the super dark element this time around, or Romero is a character I hated to love...whatever it was, it worked for me. The book will be hard to review without spoiling the story line, but I'll give it a shot.
"He was born sick. I was effed in the head. Together, we were Savages."
This is putting it mildly. Man oh man, Calista and Romero were absolutely made for each other. While we plainly see what happened to Calista to make her that way, Romero remained a bit of a mystery, even when it was all said and done.
"Outside those towering walls was the Badlands-and in the Badlands the weak struggles against the strong. Anarchy reigned."
This is the land of the crazy to the lay-person. Stuff is happening in and around these Badlands that would make even the bravest person head for the hills. Calista wasn't your normal run of the mill beautiful, petite, blonde girl. She had nerves of steel and the ability to take what was thrown at her with a grain of salt. On the outside nothing effected her, on the inside she was a jumbled, emotional mess.
"I didn't particularity like being told I couldn't do something because my balls were on my chest and not between my legs."
You go girl!! Not even the big, bad Romero and his gang of misfits could scare her away. Calista wanted answers and would do whatever she had to do to get them. Even if it meant doing a gorgeous man with a body made for sin and the mind of the devil himself.
"She reminded me of an angel that had been stripped of its wings."
And he admired her from the minute he saw her. The book is well written and is dark and pretty gross at some parts. I actually stopped for a second in disbelief of what I was reading, but then continued on. Kind of scary. I liked Romero and Calista instantly and thier respective friends brought that much more to the story. My one complaint was the cover. The book isn't due for release until January 2018, so it may change, but I feel that Calista is her own brand of beautiful crazy, not a Harley Quinn wannabe and deserves to get a cover for herself.
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
As a lover all things dark, Savages checked every box and probably more for me. Natalie Bennett brings it on, all except for an ending, but hey, I'm even fine with that for now. I was a little apprehensive to read this book, because I wasn't a huge fan of another Natalie Bennett dark series, UltraViolence. Maybe it's the super dark element this time around, or Romero is a character I hated to love...whatever it was, it worked for me. The book will be hard to review without spoiling the story line, but I'll give it a shot.
"He was born sick. I was effed in the head. Together, we were Savages."
This is putting it mildly. Man oh man, Calista and Romero were absolutely made for each other. While we plainly see what happened to Calista to make her that way, Romero remained a bit of a mystery, even when it was all said and done.
"Outside those towering walls was the Badlands-and in the Badlands the weak struggles against the strong. Anarchy reigned."
This is the land of the crazy to the lay-person. Stuff is happening in and around these Badlands that would make even the bravest person head for the hills. Calista wasn't your normal run of the mill beautiful, petite, blonde girl. She had nerves of steel and the ability to take what was thrown at her with a grain of salt. On the outside nothing effected her, on the inside she was a jumbled, emotional mess.
"I didn't particularity like being told I couldn't do something because my balls were on my chest and not between my legs."
You go girl!! Not even the big, bad Romero and his gang of misfits could scare her away. Calista wanted answers and would do whatever she had to do to get them. Even if it meant doing a gorgeous man with a body made for sin and the mind of the devil himself.
"She reminded me of an angel that had been stripped of its wings."
And he admired her from the minute he saw her. The book is well written and is dark and pretty gross at some parts. I actually stopped for a second in disbelief of what I was reading, but then continued on. Kind of scary. I liked Romero and Calista instantly and thier respective friends brought that much more to the story. My one complaint was the cover. The book isn't due for release until January 2018, so it may change, but I feel that Calista is her own brand of beautiful crazy, not a Harley Quinn wannabe and deserves to get a cover for herself.
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
November 10, 2018
I gave Savages 3.5 stars, but I wanted to give it a full 4. The plot and story were engaging, dark and twisty - my favorite!
Unfortunately, I had to deduct points due to editing and formatting issues. It was proofread but needs line editing badly. The formatting needs to be redone professionally, and have the highlighting on some words removed.
If the author gets both of those items done then rereleases I will gladly bump my rating to a full 4 stars and recommend it to others.
Unfortunately, I had to deduct points due to editing and formatting issues. It was proofread but needs line editing badly. The formatting needs to be redone professionally, and have the highlighting on some words removed.
If the author gets both of those items done then rereleases I will gladly bump my rating to a full 4 stars and recommend it to others.
July 1, 2019
Dark e da pazzi, ma non ho provato nessuna connessione con la storia e con il world building creato da Natalie.
April 6, 2022
Normally this book would be everything my sick and twisted mind would love. Two absolutely nuts characters (sociopathic or borderline) with dark pasts that’ve turned them into living demons. A story of some sick fux who miraculously find their own version of love and obsession with one another or others. But that description is sadly where my own interest here ends. The essence of the book really pushed even my boundaries and it’s not even because the shit is disturbing, depraving and wrong. Mostly my dislike is there’s just not enough background information on the characters or the world for my mind to even try to understand let alone reason over. The book is tagged dystopian and apocalyptic and it had that vibe but I don’t think there are definitive answers given. Personally I just need to know why are there gangs of cannibals and cults running so freely? Why are there kids raised like actual savage animals you have to slaughter? What happened in the actual world for it to be called the Badlands? Without answers or depth this was just a surface story full of truly crazy people doing some real disgusting shit. I’m glad some revenge was had but I’m kinda overwhelmed by all the crazy mixed with unknowns. On that note if the word trigger alone works as a warning for you, this is absolutely 100% not the book or series for you. You name it the characters do it, have done it or probably will at some point. And yet here I am glutton for punishment off to the next book because I still want answers and that minor cliffy is enough to allure my dark spirit!
January 22, 2019
**5 ‘Homicidal Harlot’ Stars***
Why did I wait so long to read this baby?
Why?
It’s totally MY kind of read that gives my dark, deviant heart the black fuzzies and makes me want more.
Thankfully, there is more ~ most of which I do not have to wait for ~ and I cannot wait to dive down that rabbit hole and get lost in it!
Why did I wait so long to read this baby?
Why?
It’s totally MY kind of read that gives my dark, deviant heart the black fuzzies and makes me want more.
Thankfully, there is more ~ most of which I do not have to wait for ~ and I cannot wait to dive down that rabbit hole and get lost in it!
May 15, 2018
I know I am greatly in the minority here but I didn't like it. I couldn't connect to the characters one bit and it was all so confusing.
The characters were boring, if a little annoying, especially Cali. She wanted to be perceived as some bas-ass that had no feelings and could kill without mercy yet she would switch to emotional and flakey. I just didn't get it, she was too confusing and condescending of her true character.
Romero was okay. I guess. better than Cali anyway. He really didn't have any feelings and he didn't give a shit when he killed but I didn't get his attraction to Cali. It was instant, which is confusing since they both come from worlds where you shouldn't trust anyone yet they immediately trusted each other. Why? I don't believe the insta-love. It seemed to forced/fake.
Calis friend......(I have forgotten her name) is the same as Cali, one minute she has a smart mouth and the next she's a whimpering mess. She was also annoying.
This is not the darkest thing I've ever read, I had got my hopes up that it was but I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it has dark parts but I didn't flinch once. maybe I'm broken after reading so many dark books or maybe it just wasn't that dark 🤷♀️
And that ending? I honestly don't care to read the second book to find out what that was all about. I'll have to stay in limbo which is perfectly fine for me! The two stars I have given are for the idea of the story line and the blood and guts that were featured.
The characters were boring, if a little annoying, especially Cali. She wanted to be perceived as some bas-ass that had no feelings and could kill without mercy yet she would switch to emotional and flakey. I just didn't get it, she was too confusing and condescending of her true character.
Romero was okay. I guess. better than Cali anyway. He really didn't have any feelings and he didn't give a shit when he killed but I didn't get his attraction to Cali. It was instant, which is confusing since they both come from worlds where you shouldn't trust anyone yet they immediately trusted each other. Why? I don't believe the insta-love. It seemed to forced/fake.
Calis friend......(I have forgotten her name) is the same as Cali, one minute she has a smart mouth and the next she's a whimpering mess. She was also annoying.
This is not the darkest thing I've ever read, I had got my hopes up that it was but I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it has dark parts but I didn't flinch once. maybe I'm broken after reading so many dark books or maybe it just wasn't that dark 🤷♀️
And that ending? I honestly don't care to read the second book to find out what that was all about. I'll have to stay in limbo which is perfectly fine for me! The two stars I have given are for the idea of the story line and the blood and guts that were featured.
January 28, 2018
Oh my dayz. I have just had two awesome hours with the Savages. I sat and read it in one sitting. Unless there was an emergency I wasn’t putting this gem down for no one.
Calista and Romero. These two characters fitted so well, like a two piece jigsaw they were complete when together.
Savages is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. Be warned it’s a dark, gritty and dirty read... everything I loved. If you love dark reads then I highly recommend you read this awesome story.
CANNOT wait for book two Deviants.
Calista and Romero. These two characters fitted so well, like a two piece jigsaw they were complete when together.
Savages is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. Be warned it’s a dark, gritty and dirty read... everything I loved. If you love dark reads then I highly recommend you read this awesome story.
CANNOT wait for book two Deviants.
September 20, 2018
Considering how desperate I am to start reading the second book in this series, I'll have to skip the review for now. Because DAMN... If you like dark, you need this book in your life.
August 21, 2018
This book was wild and crazy and left you with a hell of cliffhanger.
There is something about a dark, erotic, dystopian to get the wheels turning. Calista is one crazy chick. She reminds me a Harley Quinn and I think that might be on purpose. She is bold and has seen some bad things in her life. She is searching for retribution after she is left to die by the only family she has known. Living is something of a feat in this place and eventually she finds herself in the hands of the Devil.
Romero is the devil of the Badlands. He is viscous and downright scary half the time. There is definitely more to his story that we know at this point. He knows things that Cali does not and he has his own reasons for taking down the leader of the cult that Cali comes from. Romero kills without remorse, even though his plans are thought out they still seems chaotic and irrational.
This whole book was definitely a testament to your boundaries because they all get pushed. It was messy and bloody, it was twisted and jacked up, it was dirty and erotic. There was zero light to found and this duo puts Bonnie and Clyde to shame. This is not a love story, this not a romance but it sure is something to watch unfold. Even though you are left with a cliffhanger, I need a breath before I pick up book two. And I need to find a couple hours alone because I know now once I pick it up I won't be able to put it down until the end.
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