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A review by bookishrealm
The Initiation by Nikki Sloane
dark
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Who told Nikki Sloane that this book was okay to write? I want to have a conversation with them.
The cover, the title, the begining of this book ARE ALL MISLEADING. I was going through my Hoopla and I saw Nikki Sloane's name and decided to pick this book up randomnly after hearing Izzy say that Sloane could do no wrong. When I listened to the first part of this book I was convinced that it was going to be the stereotypical "girl falls in love with a bad guy that's a lowkey bully." But then *insert dramatic music* I discovered the meaning of the title The Initiation. This book was absolutely wild.
If I'm being completely honest, this rating is coming from a place of pure enjoyment and shock value. I still believe that the beginning of the story is slow and I really wasn't interested in hearing about two rich kids deciding whether they were in love while they banged it out. But as this story progresses and secrets are revealed it becomes clear that Nikki Sloane did not come to play. She came to snatch wigs and drop jaws. This novel is definitely in the arena of plot over character development. In my opinion, the characters weren't unique. I've seen them before in other novels, the same character type. HOWEVER, this plot makes up and takes over for the underwhelming personalities (except for Macalister -- this crazy, yet alluring man). This goes beyond the boundaries of what I thought some ficticious wealthy people would do to amuse themselves.
As a beginner in the arena of dark romance, I will proudly say that I don't think that this book is going to be for everyone. That final scene is probably not going to align with everyone's personal taste; however, I found it intriguing and it was particularly interesting the way Nikki Sloane wrote it. I found it to be a scene where both the reader and the heroine had the opportunity to be comfortable without the fear of this particular situation turning into something more extreme. But I will reiterate that it isn't for the faint of heart.
Overall, I thought that it was an enjoyable book. There is a mixture of mythology that plays an interesting role in how the heroine views the world around her that I found interesting. As stated before, I wouldn't pick this book up looking for mind blowing character development or a cute contemporary romance. It definitely is a hot plot driven novel that will make you question yourself on why you enjoyed it so much.
The cover, the title, the begining of this book ARE ALL MISLEADING. I was going through my Hoopla and I saw Nikki Sloane's name and decided to pick this book up randomnly after hearing Izzy say that Sloane could do no wrong. When I listened to the first part of this book I was convinced that it was going to be the stereotypical "girl falls in love with a bad guy that's a lowkey bully." But then *insert dramatic music* I discovered the meaning of the title The Initiation. This book was absolutely wild.
If I'm being completely honest, this rating is coming from a place of pure enjoyment and shock value. I still believe that the beginning of the story is slow and I really wasn't interested in hearing about two rich kids deciding whether they were in love while they banged it out. But as this story progresses and secrets are revealed it becomes clear that Nikki Sloane did not come to play. She came to snatch wigs and drop jaws. This novel is definitely in the arena of plot over character development. In my opinion, the characters weren't unique. I've seen them before in other novels, the same character type. HOWEVER, this plot makes up and takes over for the underwhelming personalities (except for Macalister -- this crazy, yet alluring man). This goes beyond the boundaries of what I thought some ficticious wealthy people would do to amuse themselves.
As a beginner in the arena of dark romance, I will proudly say that I don't think that this book is going to be for everyone. That final scene is probably not going to align with everyone's personal taste; however, I found it intriguing and it was particularly interesting the way Nikki Sloane wrote it. I found it to be a scene where both the reader and the heroine had the opportunity to be comfortable without the fear of this particular situation turning into something more extreme. But I will reiterate that it isn't for the faint of heart.
Overall, I thought that it was an enjoyable book. There is a mixture of mythology that plays an interesting role in how the heroine views the world around her that I found interesting. As stated before, I wouldn't pick this book up looking for mind blowing character development or a cute contemporary romance. It definitely is a hot plot driven novel that will make you question yourself on why you enjoyed it so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content