Scan barcode
love2read1995's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cliffhanger, must read next book in series to know what happens.
leena_reads's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I am truly sad to say this book was absolutely terrible.
I knew I was going to get a dark romance, except that there wasn't any romance whatsoever. This story had no point other than to show abuse and try to cover it as dark romance.
The main character was naive, and stupid but we were supposed to think she was completely clueless for 23 years? Her pov was awful to read, just jumbled thoughts, no point to anything. She made comments about her past, making us think that we'd get to know to understand but we'd just be left in the dark, not understanding her or her reactions. I thought there'd be some kind of growth in the end, where she does take back her life, just so the story actually had something going. But no. We just had to read over 200 pages of a victim locked in a hell of abuse.
As for the, if we can even call him that, "love interest", what even was his personality? His goal? He supposedly killed Robert, the one thing pushing him throughout this book, and we're just told "oh yeah btw I killed him"? So completely anticlimactic. We also don't understand his feelings for Elen. Sure he hates her cause she's associated but why is he "struggling" to get rid of her? Nothing in their "relationship" developed for him to have those feelings.
And that bleep of a plot with Sergei and her mother? What was that even for? Nothing was explored.
And Briar at the end? Useless.
The description gives a completely false expectation of this story. This is just trauma over and over and over again with no end goal. And no conclusion.
Very saddened by how much I despised this book and I cannot for the life of me understand how it's even above 3 stars.
I knew I was going to get a dark romance, except that there wasn't any romance whatsoever. This story had no point other than to show abuse and try to cover it as dark romance.
The main character was naive, and stupid but we were supposed to think she was completely clueless for 23 years? Her pov was awful to read, just jumbled thoughts, no point to anything. She made comments about her past, making us think that we'd get to know to understand but we'd just be left in the dark, not understanding her or her reactions. I thought there'd be some kind of growth in the end, where she does take back her life, just so the story actually had something going. But no. We just had to read over 200 pages of a victim locked in a hell of abuse.
As for the, if we can even call him that, "love interest", what even was his personality? His goal? He supposedly killed Robert, the one thing pushing him throughout this book, and we're just told "oh yeah btw I killed him"? So completely anticlimactic. We also don't understand his feelings for Elen. Sure he hates her cause she's associated but why is he "struggling" to get rid of her? Nothing in their "relationship" developed for him to have those feelings.
And that bleep of a plot with Sergei and her mother? What was that even for? Nothing was explored.
And Briar at the end? Useless.
The description gives a completely false expectation of this story. This is just trauma over and over and over again with no end goal. And no conclusion.
Very saddened by how much I despised this book and I cannot for the life of me understand how it's even above 3 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Body horror, Bullying, Blood, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Murder
becsa's review
4.0
Ellen Winthrop is 7 years old the first time she has been taught about monsters but nothing prepares her for when she is kidnapped by mistake 16 years later. The kidnappers were after her half-sister, Briar, and got her instead but initially they don't realize how much she is worth.
Mischa Stepanov calls Ellen "15" as she will be the 15th victim in a blood war involving his family and the Winthrop's. He is ready to do what it takes to bring down the Winthrop's and has no problem using Ellen to get what he wants.
Yet soon Ellen realizes there is more to Mischa than she initially realized and he could be the one to save her from the life she was living.
Will Ellen be able to save herself or will she end up number 15?
This was a great book that had so many twists and turns that I had no idea what was coming next!
I thought Ellen was a great character who had been through so much already and then to be set up like she was shows how little loyalty her family had. I liked her strength after she was kidnapped in how she wouldn't give in or give up.
Mischa was cold but at the same time he definitely had a soft spot for Ellen which unfortunately gave him a weakness and his plans for her began to change. It was clear that his family had been at war for a long time and things began to be revealed in this book that gave him new allies through secrets of the past.
I was happy when things began to heat up between Ellen and Mischa although it did begin as quite a twisted relationship. I knew that Ellen had been abused before and although Mischa had hurt her it was so much different than what she had been through in the past.
I liked when Ellen met Sergei and how she found herself an ally but it still made me wonder about a few things that had happened in the past.
The end of the book left me with my jaw down on the ground and I was definitely shocked!!
I definitely need to know what happens next!!
Mischa Stepanov calls Ellen "15" as she will be the 15th victim in a blood war involving his family and the Winthrop's. He is ready to do what it takes to bring down the Winthrop's and has no problem using Ellen to get what he wants.
Yet soon Ellen realizes there is more to Mischa than she initially realized and he could be the one to save her from the life she was living.
Will Ellen be able to save herself or will she end up number 15?
This was a great book that had so many twists and turns that I had no idea what was coming next!
I thought Ellen was a great character who had been through so much already and then to be set up like she was shows how little loyalty her family had. I liked her strength after she was kidnapped in how she wouldn't give in or give up.
Mischa was cold but at the same time he definitely had a soft spot for Ellen which unfortunately gave him a weakness and his plans for her began to change. It was clear that his family had been at war for a long time and things began to be revealed in this book that gave him new allies through secrets of the past.
I was happy when things began to heat up between Ellen and Mischa although it did begin as quite a twisted relationship. I knew that Ellen had been abused before and although Mischa had hurt her it was so much different than what she had been through in the past.
I liked when Ellen met Sergei and how she found herself an ally but it still made me wonder about a few things that had happened in the past.
The end of the book left me with my jaw down on the ground and I was definitely shocked!!
I definitely need to know what happens next!!
thesassybookworm's review
5.0
I read this author's THE SAVAGE FALL duet, and although I wasn't a fan of how she wrapped that duet up I still felt she had some fantastic writing chops. When I read the synopsis for this one I thought it would be right up my alley. Plus, I figured I would be more prepared for the level of darkness this author likes to impart after tackling the above mentioned duet. (lol)
And indeed this one isn't for the faint of heart, that is for sure. The writing was excellent. The pace perfect. The plot incredibly engaging. Dark. Twisted. Uncomfortable. The sex was rough and forced. No OW or OM drama, although the heroine is
Spoiler
married.I loved this one from beginning to the end. Fingers crossed book two continues the greatness.
swarley's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
swarley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lunadaea's review
4.0
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
This book is a dark romance with themes of physical abuse, bodily harm, violence, graphic sex scenes and threats of rape. Please take this into account before reading.
* * *
Lana Sky is, without a doubt, incredibly talented at what she does. Not just with her writing, but what she writes as well. While she has dabbled in other genres, she is more well known for her dark romance novels, mostly because she writes a lot more of them. But the reason I keep coming back is because she writes them so well. She has a knack of taking the most depraved, loathsome characters and twisting the narrative so we root for them.
XV is no different.
Mischa Stepanov, our depraved, loathsome character, is a brute. He isn’t likeable and he doesn’t have one redeeming quality, but he is just so damn intriguing. There is something about him that is irresistible, something that hooks you on him, something addictive.
That’s the thing with a dark romance. You’re addicted to the ones you’re not supposed to like.
He’s cruel but he’s also merciful, even though he insists he’s not. It’s clear that he doesn’t want to hurt Ellen, his captive, at least not at first. He gives her multiple chances to tell him what he wants to know, even clothes, bathes and provides her with food. Time and time again he threatens her life, never following through.
For all his mercy, he makes up for it in ruthlessness. There is no length he will go to for revenge, to end this blood war he’s been locked in his whole life.
And it’s starts with a kidnapping.
Ellen Winthorp, mistaken for her sister, is thrust into Mischa’s world of blood and violence, marking her XV, the fifteenth martyr in vicious blood feud between the family she grew up with and the Mafiya. Under Mischa’s watchful eye, she sees things that were kept from her, learning truths she never wanted to know.
She is a lamb amongst a wolves, and it won’t be long before she’s slaughtered.
Ellen is clever. She’s smart, she’s cunning and she knows how to play with monsters. She plays the naive captive well, keeping her mouth shut and eyes to the ground. She fights for her survival the only way she knows how; breathing. Throughout the book, she proves she is more than a match for Mischa, even if he sees her as nothing more that a pawn, a plaything he can use and abuse until there’s nothing left, and she uses that to her advantage.
She proves to Mischa she’s more useful than she looks, that her head is more important alive than dead. Ellen uses that information to ensure her survival and it works. Like I said, she’s clever.
Their dynamic is one of the highlights of the book. Ellen isn’t afraid to bite back at Mischa, which usually results in some form of punishment. He quickly realises she’s not the typical kind of captive, which causes him to keep her around. I think he likes the challenge she presents, that she’s not that easily broken.
Years of abuse will harden even the softest of creatures.
It’s very clear that this blood feud is very personal for Mischa. I have read my fair share of Mafia novels but the wars are always generations long with the male protagonist carrying on fight because it’s his duty. While that is the case of the War of Roses, Mischa has a very personal stake in this war and it’s apparent from the start, and now Ellen does too…
I very much enjoyed XV. It was a gripping, evenly-paced that ticked all the boxes. However, my one gripe is there wasn’t enough action. For a book about a war, I had expected to see some shoot-outs, maybe a fight or two, but to my chagrin there was only one scene like it. This book is more character driven than plot, and while that isn’t a bad thing and something I do love, XV would have benefited from plot scenes.
That said, I am anxious to get my hands on VII, the second act of this trilogy. I have a feeling this war is only going to get more bloody.
4 stars.
This book is a dark romance with themes of physical abuse, bodily harm, violence, graphic sex scenes and threats of rape. Please take this into account before reading.
* * *
Lana Sky is, without a doubt, incredibly talented at what she does. Not just with her writing, but what she writes as well. While she has dabbled in other genres, she is more well known for her dark romance novels, mostly because she writes a lot more of them. But the reason I keep coming back is because she writes them so well. She has a knack of taking the most depraved, loathsome characters and twisting the narrative so we root for them.
XV is no different.
Mischa Stepanov, our depraved, loathsome character, is a brute. He isn’t likeable and he doesn’t have one redeeming quality, but he is just so damn intriguing. There is something about him that is irresistible, something that hooks you on him, something addictive.
That’s the thing with a dark romance. You’re addicted to the ones you’re not supposed to like.
He’s cruel but he’s also merciful, even though he insists he’s not. It’s clear that he doesn’t want to hurt Ellen, his captive, at least not at first. He gives her multiple chances to tell him what he wants to know, even clothes, bathes and provides her with food. Time and time again he threatens her life, never following through.
For all his mercy, he makes up for it in ruthlessness. There is no length he will go to for revenge, to end this blood war he’s been locked in his whole life.
And it’s starts with a kidnapping.
Ellen Winthorp, mistaken for her sister, is thrust into Mischa’s world of blood and violence, marking her XV, the fifteenth martyr in vicious blood feud between the family she grew up with and the Mafiya. Under Mischa’s watchful eye, she sees things that were kept from her, learning truths she never wanted to know.
She is a lamb amongst a wolves, and it won’t be long before she’s slaughtered.
Ellen is clever. She’s smart, she’s cunning and she knows how to play with monsters. She plays the naive captive well, keeping her mouth shut and eyes to the ground. She fights for her survival the only way she knows how; breathing. Throughout the book, she proves she is more than a match for Mischa, even if he sees her as nothing more that a pawn, a plaything he can use and abuse until there’s nothing left, and she uses that to her advantage.
She proves to Mischa she’s more useful than she looks, that her head is more important alive than dead. Ellen uses that information to ensure her survival and it works. Like I said, she’s clever.
Their dynamic is one of the highlights of the book. Ellen isn’t afraid to bite back at Mischa, which usually results in some form of punishment. He quickly realises she’s not the typical kind of captive, which causes him to keep her around. I think he likes the challenge she presents, that she’s not that easily broken.
Years of abuse will harden even the softest of creatures.
It’s very clear that this blood feud is very personal for Mischa. I have read my fair share of Mafia novels but the wars are always generations long with the male protagonist carrying on fight because it’s his duty. While that is the case of the War of Roses, Mischa has a very personal stake in this war and it’s apparent from the start, and now Ellen does too…
I very much enjoyed XV. It was a gripping, evenly-paced that ticked all the boxes. However, my one gripe is there wasn’t enough action. For a book about a war, I had expected to see some shoot-outs, maybe a fight or two, but to my chagrin there was only one scene like it. This book is more character driven than plot, and while that isn’t a bad thing and something I do love, XV would have benefited from plot scenes.
That said, I am anxious to get my hands on VII, the second act of this trilogy. I have a feeling this war is only going to get more bloody.
4 stars.