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dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gareth, the quiet and calculating one of the Heathens, is a monster. He ends up in the crosshairs of possibly the only person darker and more violent than he is, his professor Kayden. Their incredible battle of wills leaves a trail of carnage, mostly to each other.
This book is the definition of beautifully toxic. Gareth is always the quiet and studious Carson. The responsible Carson. Here we get to see how he and brother Killian really are so secretly similar. When he crosses paths with his professor, Kayden, it’s gasoline meeting a fire. Gareth is not a good person. We love him, we root for him—but he is absolutely a bad guy. Somehow, Kayden is worse. There’s a bit of an age gap, and that combined with a hard upbringing makes Kayden a formidable foe. Watching them coming together is equal parts worrisome and amazing, but they’re just so dang good together. They’re violent and messy and chaotic, and I’m here for this ride.
🖤 Dark romance
👨🏫 Professor/student
💙 MM
🩶 Age gap
This book is the definition of beautifully toxic. Gareth is always the quiet and studious Carson. The responsible Carson. Here we get to see how he and brother Killian really are so secretly similar. When he crosses paths with his professor, Kayden, it’s gasoline meeting a fire. Gareth is not a good person. We love him, we root for him—but he is absolutely a bad guy. Somehow, Kayden is worse. There’s a bit of an age gap, and that combined with a hard upbringing makes Kayden a formidable foe. Watching them coming together is equal parts worrisome and amazing, but they’re just so dang good together. They’re violent and messy and chaotic, and I’m here for this ride.
🖤 Dark romance
👨🏫 Professor/student
💙 MM
🩶 Age gap
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
Moderate: Drug use, Stalking
dark
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Short story long, this book was a roller coaster and in full disclosure I wasn’t going to read this due to some reviews I’ve seen about SA (one of the lines I draw in books as a personal preference) and something this book definitely talks about. I had this preordered for a while and it was too late to cancel by the time I read some of these reviews; so I kept the book and read it with the intention to DNF it and put it up on PangoBooks or something. Honestly, I’m glad I read this book the beginning starts out questionable at best, and without spoilers the questionable stuff at the beginning makes so much more sense by the end, the backstory really paints the full picture. Having said that, it’s still a fucked up book, proceed with caution and read through the content warnings.
I loved this book. Yes, it’s a walking red flag but years of fanfiction as left me unfazed. This book is a dark romance that starts out strong with dubious consent and stalking the stalker moments, but then Gareth is eating strawberries in Kayden’s apartment, adopting a cat (technically the cat chose them), and meeting the parents. It’s dark with hints of wholesome and spicy moments. It also dealt with working through family issues, past trauma, and boundaries.
The characters were obsessive equally so, they seemed to mellow out when around one another though. I did have to laugh though at how monogamous these two were, what started as revenge turned into adopting a cat together real fast. The dinner with Kayden’s moms’ was amazing and then we got dinner with Gareth’s family which was hilarious.
Also, Simone was a total badass, I loved her so much.
A few comments I have would be that I think this book would have been better in third person but that’s more of a personal preference, it is kinda weird how both characters are straight but “gay” for each other, it’s mainly the way that it was done that gave me a bit of an ick, but I did appreciate the mentions of Gareth possibly being demisexual or on the asexual spectrum.
Read For
✓ Hate to Love
✓ Hate to Love
✓ Villain/Monster
✓ Stalker x Stalker
✓ Mutual Obsession
✓ Age Gap (22 & 33)
✓ Mutual Obsession
✓ Age Gap (22 & 33)
✓ Monogamy but Violently So
𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Sad Level: 💧💧💧
Plot: 9/10
Pace: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyability: 9/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Would I Recommend? Maybe
Favorite Character(s): Gareth, Kayden, Moka
Favorite Quote: ❝"Because you love me and are possessive of me and can't live without me?" "Correct on all accounts."❞
POV: Duel, First Person
Pages: 512
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Release Date: 18, March 2025
Rep/Extras: Non Labeling MC, Bisexual SC, LGBTQIA+ characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Kidnapping, Murder
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Classism
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Sexual violence
In the beginning of the book, the sexual relationship between the two MCs is arguably non-consensual. Based on context and the later conversations they have about those encounters, we can infer they were enjoyed, even if our MC couldn’t admit it to himself at the time, but the scenes themselves do involve him saying no and being physically overpowered and/or restrained.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating: 4.5/5
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators were phenomenal—this is a full-cast narration, and it’s perfectly cast.
At first, I was hesitant because I found God of Fury to be just meh. However, I was suffering from a major case of FOMO, so I decided to give this one a shot—and I’m glad I did.
The story is engaging right from the beginning. It completely held my attention for the first 75%—I was up until 2 a.m., and I started it again as soon as I woke up. The last 25% dragged a bit and felt predictable, unlike the earlier part of the book. Honestly, it could’ve been scrapped without losing much.
Gareth, the law student, was absolutely fascinating. His character is deeply complex, and as the story progresses, his layers and inner conflicts become even more pronounced. I loved the push and pull he had with Kayden.
Kayden, the professor, is more of a mystery. At first, his character felt a bit lackluster, but around the 60% mark, he starts to come into his own and becomes much more intriguing.
Gareth struggles more with his sexuality than Kayden, but the MM dynamic is something new for both of them.
There are a fair number of spicy scenes, and Kent did an excellent job writing them. They’re detailed, intense, and seriously hot. This is one of the rare books where I’d rate the spice a full 5 out of 5.
With the full cast narration and the emotional intensity of the story, I highly recommend experiencing this one in audio. It truly enhances the entire experience.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators were phenomenal—this is a full-cast narration, and it’s perfectly cast.
At first, I was hesitant because I found God of Fury to be just meh. However, I was suffering from a major case of FOMO, so I decided to give this one a shot—and I’m glad I did.
The story is engaging right from the beginning. It completely held my attention for the first 75%—I was up until 2 a.m., and I started it again as soon as I woke up. The last 25% dragged a bit and felt predictable, unlike the earlier part of the book. Honestly, it could’ve been scrapped without losing much.
Gareth, the law student, was absolutely fascinating. His character is deeply complex, and as the story progresses, his layers and inner conflicts become even more pronounced. I loved the push and pull he had with Kayden.
Kayden, the professor, is more of a mystery. At first, his character felt a bit lackluster, but around the 60% mark, he starts to come into his own and becomes much more intriguing.
Gareth struggles more with his sexuality than Kayden, but the MM dynamic is something new for both of them.
There are a fair number of spicy scenes, and Kent did an excellent job writing them. They’re detailed, intense, and seriously hot. This is one of the rare books where I’d rate the spice a full 5 out of 5.
With the full cast narration and the emotional intensity of the story, I highly recommend experiencing this one in audio. It truly enhances the entire experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual violence
Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Audiobook
I think I had big expectations, given how the book was marketed on social media, and, at this point, I feel a bit depleted, as those expectations were not met. Who knows—maybe if I hadn’t been so hyped before I read it, the rating would be higher.
First of all, once again, I noticed a lot of psychological dissection of both main characters. I guess writing a dark romance, especially with M/M themes, calls for more in-depth characterization. Considering that the book also covers an age-gap and professor–student relationship, it became a whole hot-potato subject.
But that’s not all. There was a lot of dub-con and/or CNC content. I have a feeling that—like in God of Malice—I struggle with the story’s lack of a clear distinction between what constitutes rape and what is a power exchange during dub-con/CNC sex play. And I guess I’m not the only one...
Nevertheless, the book kept me on my toes. Yes, it was a bit long, and I feel it was unnecessarily stretched out. Tbh, I kinda skipped the epilogues. (Look how I used an abbreviation, and I’m much older than Kayden. I understand that this “language purist” trait is part of Kayden’s characterization, but I couldn’t connect with that particular personality detail. He is not Boomer, for Peet’s sake.)
This book broaches a lot of sensitive topics regarding mental health, sexuality (including the asexuality spectrum), and outing. Both characters seem to have personality disorders (though undiagnosed). If a reader isn’t comfortable with any of these subjects, I think they should avoid this book.
And in the end, I cannot express this enough: MIND THE TRIGGER WARNINGS!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Stalking, Abandonment
Minor: Incest, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Grief
dark
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
this was garbage
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail
I actually really loved this book. It was the most out there in terms of the darkness but also the most real in my opinion? Gareth and Kayden are two people who have done what they’ve done to survive and make sense of the world they are in which has screwed up their moral compasses but deep down just desperately want to be loved and assumed they were never going to experience that. It was like two people who don’t quite belong in the universe of a dark romance but are there and are going to survive and wished they were black and white but are unfortunately nuanced. And what I mean by that is you spend the first fifteen percent of the book with Gareth telling you how he has no feelings and no inhibitions and then immediately it becomes abundantly clear he’s got a praise kink the width of the Grand Canyon.
I also liked to that neither of them felt unmovable. It frustrates the hell out of me when one person (usually the female character) has no agency in the relationships. But in this we legit got negotiation and boundaries and expressing of needs.
The non con turned CNC was a bit jarring and almost seemed in the way of the beginning of the story making it more telling instead of showing but other than that I enjoyed it.
I also liked to that neither of them felt unmovable. It frustrates the hell out of me when one person (usually the female character) has no agency in the relationships. But in this we legit got negotiation and boundaries and expressing of needs.
The non con turned CNC was a bit jarring and almost seemed in the way of the beginning of the story making it more telling instead of showing but other than that I enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia