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3.11 AVERAGE
3.11 AVERAGE
I was SO excited to read this book. Nevis was such an interesting character, especially after reading Greta’s book, but this fell flat. Nevio was either a HORRIBLE person, or when he was being nice, completely out of character. The author couldn’t find a balance. Also forcing her to take care of the baby was when she should’ve left him and never looked back. I REALLY wanted to like this book and it’s something i’ll most likely never read again.
I loved this book ,I don’t care if you all hate Nevio I think that he was perfect the only thing that I didn’t like was that I thought that he will be a little bit more crazy ,this reminds me to Savio because I love him too ,so you all need to stop hating on Cora because this book for me was perfect ,if you want a perfect vanilla boy don’t read mafia books
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
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
I just left unfinished I can’t stand anymore What a disappointment
Merged review:
I just left unfinished I can’t stand anymore What a disappointment
Merged review:
I just left unfinished I can’t stand anymore What a disappointment
“By Frenzy I Ruin” is one of the worst books of Cora Reilly, but not because of the main male character, how many pretend it is, but because of everything else. The only reason this book is worse than the others is because the author purposely tried to sabotage it. The more this author publishes, the more her professionalism disappears, favouritism takes over and completely destroy this series. She changed the personality of the characters; didn’t do research regarding mental illness; tried to move the spotlight towards other Mafia family and other couples; promoted (again) the relationship between an abuser and its victim; changed the whole action and storyline, etc.
Furthermore, once the ARCs were distributed, numerous individuals emerged and disseminated false information about the book. Many people blindly followed a collective mindset, refraining from conducting research or waiting to read the book before sharing their opinions. They formed part of a bandwagon effect, rushing to express disapproval and criticism on various social media platforms. Interestingly, even after the book's official release, these individuals failed to acknowledge their mistake. Certain people were set on hating right from the beginning. This clearly revealed the nature of the author's fan base. Not even after an hour on being on Goodreads, the book became the highest rated book on the platform. Once the fans started spreading lies, it became Cora’s lowest rated book, which is blasphemous.
P.S. I do not agree with sending arcs because, sometimes, they get on the wrong hands and are used to spoil everything, disappoint and taint people.
After ‘By Fate I Conquer’ an Outfit book should have been released, Leona’s probably, followed by a Famiglia one, and then a Camorra- Nevio’s book. It wasn’t its turn, and it wasn’t finished. The author rushed everything about this book, therefore there are a lot of grammar mistakes, time gaps, missing information, missing teasers, no timeline, mischaracterization, characters appearing out of nowhere for no reason, lots of contradictions etc. Everything there might be wrong with a book it is present in this one. Nothing fits the narrative of the other books and of what she hinted.
The biggest problem of it all, the author romanticises abuse, neglect and rape. The action is based on a male character raped by the female protagonist and whose struggles are ignored by his family members.
There are many mistakes, missing things and contradictions. By Frenzy I Ruin's genre appears to be romance which doesn't make sense at all since there is almost no romantism. If written well it could have been a dark romance, thriller or a psychological. There should be trigger warnings such as assault, somnophilia, gore, knife play, mention of blood kink, child abuse/ neglect, use of drugs/ alcohol etc. There isn't a single trigger warning mentioned in any of the books. The personalities the characters have in BFIR don't fit the personalities in the other books. There is nothing left of their mind and soul.
For example, Remo used to be strong and always aware. He quickly noticed Nevio’s behaviour and helped him to control himself. In this book, the author changed him into a father that ignores his son’s illness. This is a contradiction too big to be ignored.
Too much skip time, everything happens too fast, there is no explanation and reason behind some scenes and that causes a lot of confusion. A lot of important scenes of what Greta and Remo told Nevio to make him listen/ calm down, and of Nevio killing Cressida are just mentioned, but not described. There is no explanation of what Greta and Remo whispered to him to control him, what Remo talked to him in the hospital, what Alessio meant when he said things got out of hands for him, what happened to him in NYC etc. There isn't a bigger picture of what happened to Nevio in Italy- how he helped the mafia, how he got shot, how he recovered, how his mental illness evolved/ diminished. This makes it hard to understand and recognise the illness and its struggles.
There are too many contradictions regarding important things which distort everything, for example: Nevio said he never lost control and Remo, Nino and Savio confirmed this, but there are scenes where it seems like he can't control himself; Nevio hates physical contact with certain people and is scared of getting any diseases, yet somehow he goes around sleeping with random people and even 'forgets' to use a condom; It is mentioned that Massimo and Alessio always have Nevio's back and have to babysit him, yet they didn't care he was intoxicated and taken advantage off. They blamed him knowing very well he was the one unconscious and abused; the Falcones are against smoking and doing drugs, they forbid Adamo consuming them; Greta said Nevio isn't taking anything, but in BFIR the trio are smoking and abusing drugs; In the beginning of the book, it says the parents weren’t fond of what they were doing and threatened to separate them, but later, from Remo’s pov, it seems like Nevio was allowed to do that because he hoped he will be magically cured…; It says that Nevio likes to take care of himself, be in control and that he doesn’t really drink, yet there are a lot of contradictory scenes. He doesn’t really drink, yet he deals with his demons by getting drunk. There is no logic. The way this author writes is very antithetical.
There are 'similarities' between Nevio and many other characters, which proves once again that the author doesn’t have any creativity and recycles a lot. For example: he becomes interested in Aurora only after she gave up, just like Savio; mass murdering a group of bikers using a katana- Luca killing a MC Tartarus group with an axe/ hatchet; just like in Savio's and Greta's books, a nearly dying experience was the biggest wakeup call for Nevio; Nevio cutting and burning himself - Adamo hurting himself; Battista being abandoned and unwanted by his mother just like his uncle, Alessio, was unwanted and abandoned by his mother etc.
The whole “Battista’ situation is very out of place. It was mentioned how he is close only with people he grew up around and that he cannot accept knew people; that he did not want at all a future family because he is afraid he might hurt them and children because he hated them, yet a child was forced upon him. The whole child scene does not make sense at all. Regarding the mother there are many unanswered questions: If the child’s mother was from France what was she doing for years in America? You tell me a north African/ middle eastern woman, most probably Muslim or Orthodox, would leave France to be a prostitute in USA? Where did Nevio meet her? If she never slept without a condom why didn’t she use one with Nevio? Why didn’t she take contraceptives? Why did she keep the baby and didn’t abort if she didn’t want him? Why did she tell Nevio about him only at 8 months? Why was she scared of and what was she running from?
Nevio. This character has received lot of hate since he was conceived, not only from other characters in the books, but also from the author and fans of the books. Ever since his mother was pregnant with him and his sister, he was considered the Devil’s pawn. After his birth, the feelings amplified. Grown people hated, badmouthed, threw glances and wanted him gone. All because they lost against his father, Remo. Later, his family chose to ignore his mental health struggles but were quick to criticize him and demand that he behave like a normal person. They treated him with disrespect, constantly belittling him and ranting about him. He felt deeply misunderstood, thinking, "No one could make this decision for me because no one knew how messed up my thoughts were right now”. They also expected Nevio to accept a child simply because Greta couldn’t have one: "Greta couldn't carry children because of her injuries, and Nevio ended up with a child he obviously didn’t want." / "What my daughter Greta so desperately wanted—a child—had been thrown into Nevio’s lap, and yet he hadn’t been willing or able to take on the responsibility”. They constantly compared themselves to Nevio, expecting him to act and think the way they did, ignoring his unique struggles and circumstances. Dr. Julia Shaw has observed that without understanding, we risk dehumanizing others, disregarding human beings simply because we fail to comprehend them. This insight resonates deeply in Nevio's case. The author made no attempt to understand him, and as a result, neither did the characters in the story nor the fans. From the very beginning, Nevio was universally branded as a monster, with little consideration for who he truly was or why he behaved the way he did.
Unlike his father and his brothers who became monsters mostly because of their traumas, Nevio was born one: “Maybe my darkness scared them more than dad’s because mine hadn’t been born from childhood trauma. I had been born a monster. It was in my genes.” He got this illness and all the bad genes from the members of his family. “Fuck, even I’m probably a victim of circumstances.” This is true. He is a victim of circumstances. He was born insane in a family that couldn’t deal with him. His mother and sister preferred to ignore it, while his father, uncles and cousins were too monstrous themselves to care. Remo tried to help him but apparently stopped because he couldn’t handle him and just told him to “channel it”. They just let him do whatever and hoped he would miraculously become better. By the time he grows up and evolves, so does his mental state. His thoughts became darker, nightmares more frequent and psychotic breaks harder to control.
His sister falling in love and marring their enemies (and the person who attacked their family); his childhood friend raping him and lying about it; his family ignoring his struggles, and a baby being damped on him did nothing but to aggravate his psychological state. They became a trigger and a stressor for him to the point that he had thoughts about killing his family and even suicidal ones: “I’d often wondered how its blade would feel (…). How would it feel to bathe in my own blood for once?” / “The Camorra and my family already limited my freedom. I wasn't sure if my frenzied brain could take more.” / “A small part of me wanted to do the right thing, for Aurora, but the far bigger and darker part couldn’t let go of Aurora yet.” / “Sometimes I wanted to hurt everyone but there were certain people I always wanted to save a little more than I wanted to hurt them. Save them from me. The problem was that every day, I was a little less sure who helped the reigns, me or the monster. A monster who reeked of blood and sought carnage. Maybe I was delusional when I thought there was a difference between the monster and me.”
To avoid killing his family, especially his son, and at his father’s suggestion, he leaves for Italy. In Italy, he focuses on self-improvement and strives to become the best version of himself in order to be a good model for Battista, an upstanding Capo and a man deserving of Aurora. He didn’t waste any moment- after he brought victory to Camorra, became a little mentally stable and was discharged from the hospital, he returned to his family. Once back to America, he dedicated himself to proving he changed- he spent most of his time working for Camorra, bonding with Battista and spoiling Aurora.
Despite his family ignoring his mental state, he protected them from him. He was always nice towards Aurora even though she r4p3d him and accused him of sa her. He was always friendly and respectful towards ‘Lottie’, as he calls her, despite her one sided beef with him. He had many chances to say things back to people, but he didn’t.
Despite Massimo being a walking dictionary and starting to say a definition every time he heard a word, I do think Nevio is the highly intelligent one. He is very aware, observant, took in every detailed, analysed and weighted the options, knew people’s steps before they did, anticipated and came with the best solution. Before he went to New York he prepared well- the best yet not so known places to buy weapons and a car. He knew where and at what time to walk on the streets and was always aware of his surroundings. His stalking talents were disturbing, albeit not surprisingly, outstanding. He recognised diseases in a second and knew from far away which tooth was spilled on the floor. His vocabulary and way of phrasing were substantial and impressive: “I wish it had been blood that would have elevated a pitiful display to a slightly entertaining one.” There are a lot of smart things he said, and I could quote him endlessly. He is the only second generation character described as intelligent: “My brother was too intelligent.” / “He was good at reading people; he would read people’s reaction and filed them away in case he needed them.” He collected Japanese weaponry that was thousands years old. This points out his intellectual stimulation, but also his interest and deep appreciation for aesthetic, art of war and other cultures.
He was called all kind of names. His struggles were ignored. No one had fate in him. He was assaulted. He was falsely accused of rape and cheating. Even with being attacked from all sides and not having a single soul on his side, he still managed to thrive. He was always civil, respectful and always talked highly about his family. He called out and forgave the person that assaulted him. He accepted his son despite ‘hating’ children and not wanting any. He managed to ‘heal’ himself through the only way he knew- violence. This points to intellectual capability.
He had a sick mind, yet he didn’t disrespect, abuse and falsely accuse his partner. He was lunatic to the point that he had no cure, yet he was better than a multitude of characters.
As a Camorrista and future Capo. His father was one of the strongest and most remarkable Capo, and the expectation for him to follow in those footsteps was high, and he didn’t disappoint. Due to his manic urges, he became familiar with fighting and torture at a young age, becoming the Capo with the most experience in the second generation. He was serios and dedicated to Camorra and he is the only character that showed and was described and praised by the others for his works: “Nevio’s disposition is permanent, and we probably make him a feared Capo one day.” / “Of course, he took responsibility when it came to the Camorra,” / “I could die helping the Camorra in Italy.” / “Of course, Nevio would go there. The Camorra in Campania was at war on several fronts. This was the perfect place for someone like my son.” / “Your strength, your dedication to the Camorra and you fight skills have made me incredibly proud in the past.” / “The first few weeks in Italy passed in a blur. I really threw myself into every battle and job Alvize head for me, no matter how risky.” / “He’d gone to help Camorra in Italy.” / “He’s determined to take over more responsibilities in the Camorra.”
Even in his darkest hour he acknowledged Camorra and confirmed he could have done better and more than he already did: “Hell even Camorra deserved better.” He never neglected his work as a mobster, when he didn’t work for Camorra in America, he worked for Camorra in Italy. When he went on killing sprees he killed people with a track and people who caused problem for Camorra. When he went to Italy to protect his family, he still worked for Camorra. Even went to war for it. No matter what he did he never forgot that he is a mobster and a Capo above all.
Nevio is far from perfect—he's not innocent or without fault—but he hasn’t done even half the things he’s accused of, nor does he deserve the intense hatred directed at him. The way he’s treated is disproportionately worse than the treatment of other despicable characters in this universe, many of whom have committed far more heinous acts. These include grown, clinically sane individuals who cheat, are paedophiles, abusers, mistreat their wives and others, knowingly allow abuse despite having the power to stop it, and even suggest sexual violence against their partners.
There are numerous characters just as bad—or worse—than Nevio overall, yet they don’t face the same backlash: One character from a popular series abused alcohol and drugs to cope with his trauma, leading him to neglect his girlfriend and son. Despite this, he’s showered with love and support from the same people who hate Nevio. Another character was ableist, rude to everyone, falsely accused a victim of rape, and cheated, yet she’s defended like she can do no wrong. Other characters in the series are spoiled hooligans who traumatize their love interests, but their behaviour is excused or even romanticized. And then there are characters who are outright abusers and rapists, yet, for some baffling reason, they’re beloved by the audience. The hypocrisy is glaring. Nevio is harshly judged for his actions and flaws, while others, often with more egregious behaviour, are given a free pass or even celebrated.
P.S. Carlotta was one of the only characters I was curious about and she disappointed badly. In the beginning of the ‘By Frenzy I Ruin’ she seemed okay, but lately she joined the list of the hypocrites characters. Out of nowhere she developed a one side beef with Nevio, her supposed reason being the way Nevio ‘treated Aurora’. That is absurd for many reasons.
Nevio always respected and treated both Aurora and Carlotta with as much care as a mental illness person can treat his sisters. Even when Aurora embarrassed herself, lied, hit and raped him he still treated her nicely. He didn’t even once raise his voice at her or showed any signs of being mad. The only thing he did was to ignore her crush, a thing Carlotta did with Massimo as well.
Later in the book, it can be seen that the way he ‘treated Aurora’ is not the only reason she dislikes about him, his nighttime activities got her attention as well: “"I wonder if this is more Nevio's doing, and Alessio and Massimo just join him out of solidarity." / I pursed my lips. "Alessio and Massimo aren't innocent bystanders either." / "I know," Carlotta said softly, but I could hear that she disagreed.”
The hypocrisy is so evident, it’s shining through the darkness. She can excuse Massimo and Alessio’s doings, but not Nevio’s. She is even trying to blame it on him.
She always joined Aurora when she made stupid decisions and never called her out for lying, hitting or raping Nevio. She can excuse other people killing and sleeping around, can be a friend with a rapist, but she drew the line at Nevio? Is this the girl that’s supposed to be a Christian? “…the cross in her hand turned toward Nevio as if she was trying to keep his evil from her.” This scene is so cringe. I swear if the author writes her as one of those religious fanatics who thinks “Mental illness is not real, but Jesus is. You don’t need a psychiatrist; you need an exorcist.”
‘Camorra Chronicles’ series is what made this author popular. These characters’ personalities and the relationship between them is what made readers to throw a second glance over her writings. Now that the essence is gone, so are the readers and her career. There are too many things wrong with this book and this author in general, my brain is starting to rot. Too many things to point out therefore I will stop here. I do not want to be the next Marcel Proust.
I do not hold any particular feeling towards the author, but I can easily affirm that Cora Reilly is an abomination to dark romance/ mafia genre and a blood death knight cataclysmic level to literature.
Furthermore, once the ARCs were distributed, numerous individuals emerged and disseminated false information about the book. Many people blindly followed a collective mindset, refraining from conducting research or waiting to read the book before sharing their opinions. They formed part of a bandwagon effect, rushing to express disapproval and criticism on various social media platforms. Interestingly, even after the book's official release, these individuals failed to acknowledge their mistake. Certain people were set on hating right from the beginning. This clearly revealed the nature of the author's fan base. Not even after an hour on being on Goodreads, the book became the highest rated book on the platform. Once the fans started spreading lies, it became Cora’s lowest rated book, which is blasphemous.
P.S. I do not agree with sending arcs because, sometimes, they get on the wrong hands and are used to spoil everything, disappoint and taint people.
After ‘By Fate I Conquer’ an Outfit book should have been released, Leona’s probably, followed by a Famiglia one, and then a Camorra- Nevio’s book. It wasn’t its turn, and it wasn’t finished. The author rushed everything about this book, therefore there are a lot of grammar mistakes, time gaps, missing information, missing teasers, no timeline, mischaracterization, characters appearing out of nowhere for no reason, lots of contradictions etc. Everything there might be wrong with a book it is present in this one. Nothing fits the narrative of the other books and of what she hinted.
The biggest problem of it all, the author romanticises abuse, neglect and rape. The action is based on a male character raped by the female protagonist and whose struggles are ignored by his family members.
There are many mistakes, missing things and contradictions. By Frenzy I Ruin's genre appears to be romance which doesn't make sense at all since there is almost no romantism. If written well it could have been a dark romance, thriller or a psychological. There should be trigger warnings such as assault, somnophilia, gore, knife play, mention of blood kink, child abuse/ neglect, use of drugs/ alcohol etc. There isn't a single trigger warning mentioned in any of the books. The personalities the characters have in BFIR don't fit the personalities in the other books. There is nothing left of their mind and soul.
For example, Remo used to be strong and always aware. He quickly noticed Nevio’s behaviour and helped him to control himself. In this book, the author changed him into a father that ignores his son’s illness. This is a contradiction too big to be ignored.
Too much skip time, everything happens too fast, there is no explanation and reason behind some scenes and that causes a lot of confusion. A lot of important scenes of what Greta and Remo told Nevio to make him listen/ calm down, and of Nevio killing Cressida are just mentioned, but not described. There is no explanation of what Greta and Remo whispered to him to control him, what Remo talked to him in the hospital, what Alessio meant when he said things got out of hands for him, what happened to him in NYC etc. There isn't a bigger picture of what happened to Nevio in Italy- how he helped the mafia, how he got shot, how he recovered, how his mental illness evolved/ diminished. This makes it hard to understand and recognise the illness and its struggles.
There are too many contradictions regarding important things which distort everything, for example: Nevio said he never lost control and Remo, Nino and Savio confirmed this, but there are scenes where it seems like he can't control himself; Nevio hates physical contact with certain people and is scared of getting any diseases, yet somehow he goes around sleeping with random people and even 'forgets' to use a condom; It is mentioned that Massimo and Alessio always have Nevio's back and have to babysit him, yet they didn't care he was intoxicated and taken advantage off. They blamed him knowing very well he was the one unconscious and abused; the Falcones are against smoking and doing drugs, they forbid Adamo consuming them; Greta said Nevio isn't taking anything, but in BFIR the trio are smoking and abusing drugs; In the beginning of the book, it says the parents weren’t fond of what they were doing and threatened to separate them, but later, from Remo’s pov, it seems like Nevio was allowed to do that because he hoped he will be magically cured…; It says that Nevio likes to take care of himself, be in control and that he doesn’t really drink, yet there are a lot of contradictory scenes. He doesn’t really drink, yet he deals with his demons by getting drunk. There is no logic. The way this author writes is very antithetical.
There are 'similarities' between Nevio and many other characters, which proves once again that the author doesn’t have any creativity and recycles a lot. For example: he becomes interested in Aurora only after she gave up, just like Savio; mass murdering a group of bikers using a katana- Luca killing a MC Tartarus group with an axe/ hatchet; just like in Savio's and Greta's books, a nearly dying experience was the biggest wakeup call for Nevio; Nevio cutting and burning himself - Adamo hurting himself; Battista being abandoned and unwanted by his mother just like his uncle, Alessio, was unwanted and abandoned by his mother etc.
The whole “Battista’ situation is very out of place. It was mentioned how he is close only with people he grew up around and that he cannot accept knew people; that he did not want at all a future family because he is afraid he might hurt them and children because he hated them, yet a child was forced upon him. The whole child scene does not make sense at all. Regarding the mother there are many unanswered questions: If the child’s mother was from France what was she doing for years in America? You tell me a north African/ middle eastern woman, most probably Muslim or Orthodox, would leave France to be a prostitute in USA? Where did Nevio meet her? If she never slept without a condom why didn’t she use one with Nevio? Why didn’t she take contraceptives? Why did she keep the baby and didn’t abort if she didn’t want him? Why did she tell Nevio about him only at 8 months? Why was she scared of and what was she running from?
Nevio. This character has received lot of hate since he was conceived, not only from other characters in the books, but also from the author and fans of the books. Ever since his mother was pregnant with him and his sister, he was considered the Devil’s pawn. After his birth, the feelings amplified. Grown people hated, badmouthed, threw glances and wanted him gone. All because they lost against his father, Remo. Later, his family chose to ignore his mental health struggles but were quick to criticize him and demand that he behave like a normal person. They treated him with disrespect, constantly belittling him and ranting about him. He felt deeply misunderstood, thinking, "No one could make this decision for me because no one knew how messed up my thoughts were right now”. They also expected Nevio to accept a child simply because Greta couldn’t have one: "Greta couldn't carry children because of her injuries, and Nevio ended up with a child he obviously didn’t want." / "What my daughter Greta so desperately wanted—a child—had been thrown into Nevio’s lap, and yet he hadn’t been willing or able to take on the responsibility”. They constantly compared themselves to Nevio, expecting him to act and think the way they did, ignoring his unique struggles and circumstances. Dr. Julia Shaw has observed that without understanding, we risk dehumanizing others, disregarding human beings simply because we fail to comprehend them. This insight resonates deeply in Nevio's case. The author made no attempt to understand him, and as a result, neither did the characters in the story nor the fans. From the very beginning, Nevio was universally branded as a monster, with little consideration for who he truly was or why he behaved the way he did.
Unlike his father and his brothers who became monsters mostly because of their traumas, Nevio was born one: “Maybe my darkness scared them more than dad’s because mine hadn’t been born from childhood trauma. I had been born a monster. It was in my genes.” He got this illness and all the bad genes from the members of his family. “Fuck, even I’m probably a victim of circumstances.” This is true. He is a victim of circumstances. He was born insane in a family that couldn’t deal with him. His mother and sister preferred to ignore it, while his father, uncles and cousins were too monstrous themselves to care. Remo tried to help him but apparently stopped because he couldn’t handle him and just told him to “channel it”. They just let him do whatever and hoped he would miraculously become better. By the time he grows up and evolves, so does his mental state. His thoughts became darker, nightmares more frequent and psychotic breaks harder to control.
His sister falling in love and marring their enemies (and the person who attacked their family); his childhood friend raping him and lying about it; his family ignoring his struggles, and a baby being damped on him did nothing but to aggravate his psychological state. They became a trigger and a stressor for him to the point that he had thoughts about killing his family and even suicidal ones: “I’d often wondered how its blade would feel (…). How would it feel to bathe in my own blood for once?” / “The Camorra and my family already limited my freedom. I wasn't sure if my frenzied brain could take more.” / “A small part of me wanted to do the right thing, for Aurora, but the far bigger and darker part couldn’t let go of Aurora yet.” / “Sometimes I wanted to hurt everyone but there were certain people I always wanted to save a little more than I wanted to hurt them. Save them from me. The problem was that every day, I was a little less sure who helped the reigns, me or the monster. A monster who reeked of blood and sought carnage. Maybe I was delusional when I thought there was a difference between the monster and me.”
To avoid killing his family, especially his son, and at his father’s suggestion, he leaves for Italy. In Italy, he focuses on self-improvement and strives to become the best version of himself in order to be a good model for Battista, an upstanding Capo and a man deserving of Aurora. He didn’t waste any moment- after he brought victory to Camorra, became a little mentally stable and was discharged from the hospital, he returned to his family. Once back to America, he dedicated himself to proving he changed- he spent most of his time working for Camorra, bonding with Battista and spoiling Aurora.
Despite his family ignoring his mental state, he protected them from him. He was always nice towards Aurora even though she r4p3d him and accused him of sa her. He was always friendly and respectful towards ‘Lottie’, as he calls her, despite her one sided beef with him. He had many chances to say things back to people, but he didn’t.
Despite Massimo being a walking dictionary and starting to say a definition every time he heard a word, I do think Nevio is the highly intelligent one. He is very aware, observant, took in every detailed, analysed and weighted the options, knew people’s steps before they did, anticipated and came with the best solution. Before he went to New York he prepared well- the best yet not so known places to buy weapons and a car. He knew where and at what time to walk on the streets and was always aware of his surroundings. His stalking talents were disturbing, albeit not surprisingly, outstanding. He recognised diseases in a second and knew from far away which tooth was spilled on the floor. His vocabulary and way of phrasing were substantial and impressive: “I wish it had been blood that would have elevated a pitiful display to a slightly entertaining one.” There are a lot of smart things he said, and I could quote him endlessly. He is the only second generation character described as intelligent: “My brother was too intelligent.” / “He was good at reading people; he would read people’s reaction and filed them away in case he needed them.” He collected Japanese weaponry that was thousands years old. This points out his intellectual stimulation, but also his interest and deep appreciation for aesthetic, art of war and other cultures.
He was called all kind of names. His struggles were ignored. No one had fate in him. He was assaulted. He was falsely accused of rape and cheating. Even with being attacked from all sides and not having a single soul on his side, he still managed to thrive. He was always civil, respectful and always talked highly about his family. He called out and forgave the person that assaulted him. He accepted his son despite ‘hating’ children and not wanting any. He managed to ‘heal’ himself through the only way he knew- violence. This points to intellectual capability.
He had a sick mind, yet he didn’t disrespect, abuse and falsely accuse his partner. He was lunatic to the point that he had no cure, yet he was better than a multitude of characters.
As a Camorrista and future Capo. His father was one of the strongest and most remarkable Capo, and the expectation for him to follow in those footsteps was high, and he didn’t disappoint. Due to his manic urges, he became familiar with fighting and torture at a young age, becoming the Capo with the most experience in the second generation. He was serios and dedicated to Camorra and he is the only character that showed and was described and praised by the others for his works: “Nevio’s disposition is permanent, and we probably make him a feared Capo one day.” / “Of course, he took responsibility when it came to the Camorra,” / “I could die helping the Camorra in Italy.” / “Of course, Nevio would go there. The Camorra in Campania was at war on several fronts. This was the perfect place for someone like my son.” / “Your strength, your dedication to the Camorra and you fight skills have made me incredibly proud in the past.” / “The first few weeks in Italy passed in a blur. I really threw myself into every battle and job Alvize head for me, no matter how risky.” / “He’d gone to help Camorra in Italy.” / “He’s determined to take over more responsibilities in the Camorra.”
Even in his darkest hour he acknowledged Camorra and confirmed he could have done better and more than he already did: “Hell even Camorra deserved better.” He never neglected his work as a mobster, when he didn’t work for Camorra in America, he worked for Camorra in Italy. When he went on killing sprees he killed people with a track and people who caused problem for Camorra. When he went to Italy to protect his family, he still worked for Camorra. Even went to war for it. No matter what he did he never forgot that he is a mobster and a Capo above all.
Nevio is far from perfect—he's not innocent or without fault—but he hasn’t done even half the things he’s accused of, nor does he deserve the intense hatred directed at him. The way he’s treated is disproportionately worse than the treatment of other despicable characters in this universe, many of whom have committed far more heinous acts. These include grown, clinically sane individuals who cheat, are paedophiles, abusers, mistreat their wives and others, knowingly allow abuse despite having the power to stop it, and even suggest sexual violence against their partners.
There are numerous characters just as bad—or worse—than Nevio overall, yet they don’t face the same backlash: One character from a popular series abused alcohol and drugs to cope with his trauma, leading him to neglect his girlfriend and son. Despite this, he’s showered with love and support from the same people who hate Nevio. Another character was ableist, rude to everyone, falsely accused a victim of rape, and cheated, yet she’s defended like she can do no wrong. Other characters in the series are spoiled hooligans who traumatize their love interests, but their behaviour is excused or even romanticized. And then there are characters who are outright abusers and rapists, yet, for some baffling reason, they’re beloved by the audience. The hypocrisy is glaring. Nevio is harshly judged for his actions and flaws, while others, often with more egregious behaviour, are given a free pass or even celebrated.
P.S. Carlotta was one of the only characters I was curious about and she disappointed badly. In the beginning of the ‘By Frenzy I Ruin’ she seemed okay, but lately she joined the list of the hypocrites characters. Out of nowhere she developed a one side beef with Nevio, her supposed reason being the way Nevio ‘treated Aurora’. That is absurd for many reasons.
Nevio always respected and treated both Aurora and Carlotta with as much care as a mental illness person can treat his sisters. Even when Aurora embarrassed herself, lied, hit and raped him he still treated her nicely. He didn’t even once raise his voice at her or showed any signs of being mad. The only thing he did was to ignore her crush, a thing Carlotta did with Massimo as well.
Later in the book, it can be seen that the way he ‘treated Aurora’ is not the only reason she dislikes about him, his nighttime activities got her attention as well: “"I wonder if this is more Nevio's doing, and Alessio and Massimo just join him out of solidarity." / I pursed my lips. "Alessio and Massimo aren't innocent bystanders either." / "I know," Carlotta said softly, but I could hear that she disagreed.”
The hypocrisy is so evident, it’s shining through the darkness. She can excuse Massimo and Alessio’s doings, but not Nevio’s. She is even trying to blame it on him.
She always joined Aurora when she made stupid decisions and never called her out for lying, hitting or raping Nevio. She can excuse other people killing and sleeping around, can be a friend with a rapist, but she drew the line at Nevio? Is this the girl that’s supposed to be a Christian? “…the cross in her hand turned toward Nevio as if she was trying to keep his evil from her.” This scene is so cringe. I swear if the author writes her as one of those religious fanatics who thinks “Mental illness is not real, but Jesus is. You don’t need a psychiatrist; you need an exorcist.”
‘Camorra Chronicles’ series is what made this author popular. These characters’ personalities and the relationship between them is what made readers to throw a second glance over her writings. Now that the essence is gone, so are the readers and her career. There are too many things wrong with this book and this author in general, my brain is starting to rot. Too many things to point out therefore I will stop here. I do not want to be the next Marcel Proust.
I do not hold any particular feeling towards the author, but I can easily affirm that Cora Reilly is an abomination to dark romance/ mafia genre and a blood death knight cataclysmic level to literature.
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have read many bad reviews of this novel, which in my opinion are not deserved. On the contrary, of all the author's books, this was one of my favourites, even for the crticest parts. Nevio is a psychopath and a sociopath, violent, self-centred, obsessive man. Aurora, on the other hand, despite being a good girl, loyal to all her loved ones, feels a toxic love for this boy, to say the least. both are irrational in their own way, and this is what perhaps works best about the novel. the decisions the protagonists make throughout the novel make no logical sense, and because of this they make a lot of sense being consistent with the characters.
I loved their interactions and the mutual affection they feel for each other throughout the book, as demonstrated by the fact that Aurora, in dealing with Nevio's stalking, never feels in danger knowing that he will never hurt her.
The biggest lack I felt is related to the lack of tense moments on the storyline level, but this is a characteristic of the author.
In summary, perhaps my score is a bit inflated because of the bad and undeserved reviews of this novel, but it is nevertheless the only book in the series that I felt like re-reading.
I didn't like it, but I have to compensate for the idiots who 1starred and obviously didn't bother to read the book.
Merged review:
I didn't like it, but I have to compensate for the idiots who 1starred and obviously didn't bother to read the book.
Merged review:
I didn't like it, but I have to compensate for the idiots who 1starred and obviously didn't bother to read the book.
Merged review:
I didn't like it, but I have to compensate for the idiots who 1starred and obviously didn't bother to read the book.
Merged review:
I didn't like it, but I have to compensate for the idiots who 1starred and obviously didn't bother to read the book.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes