A review by dlrosebyh
The Predator by RuNyx

dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Tristan Caine has stood out in the murky underworld of the mob. He is a mystery to everyone because he is the only non-blooded person in the Tenebrae Outfit's inner circle, and he has morality that is debatable and unknown motivations. He is aware that he is dangerous.

As does Morana Vitalio, the daughter of the opposing family and a genius extraordinaire. Morana uses computers to do what Caine does with firearms. Infiltrating Caine's home with the intention of killing him as a mystery from twenty years prior resurfaces, Morana is not aware of the connection that ties them together. History, fire, and hatred collide with unanticipated sparks. But something more significant and detrimental is taking place in their world. And only they are capable of putting it down, despite their hostility.

I was quite pleased by this book in several ways. I didn't want to read this book since, to start with, I don't have any faith in Booktok. Not until some of my friends started reading it and truly enjoying it? I thought, "Perhaps this isn't as horrible as I thought." and I was entirely right. I love this book a lot.

Second, I'm not a fan of gloomy romances. I didn't read much other than the Made series. Even the idea of a writer romanticizing dark subjects makes me uncomfortable, yet when done well, I obviously dig it.

Thirdly, the cover didn't appeal to me. I do, in fact, judge a book by its cover. Really, who doesn't? I automatically presume a book is going to be poorly written if I don't like the cover. It’s fucked up, I know, but I think that high quality content ought to at least should have a lovely cover.

But even with those criticisms, I still adored the book. There is an unbearable amount of tension between Tristan and Morana. I can't recall the last time I read a novel with this much conflict between the characters. The bar was set so low that when the characters genuinely experienced stress, I was taken aback.

I believe RuNyx did a fantastic job creating them as characters. They're all very genuine, and I adore that they have mixed morals. I still have several unanswered plot-related questions, but I do hope the next book will address them. The writing style was the one aspect of this book that I didn't enjoy. I wasn't a great lover of it, and I'll be honest, because of that, I was intending to put this book aside. But, wow, I'm so pleased I forced myself to finish it.
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