A review by imme_van_gorp
God of Fury: Special Edition Print by Rina Kent

3.5

➛First read: January 2024 | ★4.5 stars
➛Second read: April 2024 | ★3.5 stars

EDIT after my re-read:
I didn’t like it as much as I did the first time. It could be because I reread this way too soon and still remembered everything to a point that it became a little boring, but it could also be because I started to notice a few things that annoyed me. The most obvious thing being how often Nikolai dropped or ghosted Bran. He “dumped” him more times than I can count, and that’s not really the behaviour I expect or want from someone who’s supposedly obsessed. Furthermore, Bran always took Niko back immediately after Niko abandoned him or did some other shitty thing, and he was never angry about it. I really wanted him to make Niko grovel more, but I also just needed Niko to never ever give up on Bran in the first place. But nope, that’s not what happened. And that’s what made this book less enjoyable for me this time around.

Original Review:
Wow. Just wow. I’m in love. Just utterly, irrevocably in love. Brandon and Nikolai were complete perfection and everything I wanted them to be. I just love them so much, it physically hurts my heart to know that it’s over. I miss them already.

“You’re a fucking nightmare,” he mutters, his throat working beneath my fingers.
“Your nightmare.”
“I hate you.”
“I don’t.”
“You’re fucking crazy.”
“About you,” I whisper against his lips and claim them with a guttural moan.

This was my first [a:Rina Kent|18697906|Rina Kent|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1589557864p2/18697906.jpg] book, and I’m truly so happy that I decided to skip ahead in the series to these two beautiful souls (after all, this book works perfectly as a standalone). I really wouldn’t have wanted to miss their story for the world!

I’m struggling a little bit to find the right words to describe the beauty and sublimity of this romance. But I’ll try my best. I think I should probably begin by explaining the two amazing main characters, because they’re both so complex and beautiful that you need to understand them to appreciate how epic their love story is:

First I’ll talk about beautiful, self-loathing Brandon.
He was the kind of person who would always be kind and patient with the people around him. He wore a carefully constructed mask of pleasantries and politeness; all day, every day. He never lost control of himself; actually, he couldn’t lose control, or he would completely spiral.
Thus, he managed to keep his breakdowns perfectly in check through a strict routine, until the day that he met Nikolai. Niko saw the true man behind the mask and he awakened a passion and rage inside of Brandon that he had tried to push deep down inside of him for many years. He believed he had to be perfect, that he had to be in control, because if he wasn’t, he’d be afraid everyone would see him as the weakling and waste of space he himself thought he was.

“You cut yourself?” My words are low, but they’re so loud in the silence. “Why?”
“Because I’m fucked up.” His voice sounds like death’s lullaby, anguished and shattered. “Because I look at myself in the mirror and get the urge to shatter it to pieces. Because I’ve been haunted by the bitter taste of nausea and self-loathing for so long, I don’t know how to live without them. I was doing fine, pretending and putting on a façade, so why the fuck did you ruin that? Why did you come into my life and destroy every wall I built and ruin every lie I told myself? Why do you touch me like I’m beautiful? Why don’t you hate me when I can’t stand my-fucking-self?”

Then we have Nikolai.
Oh, what a beautiful soul he was. It might sound a little strange to say this about a man whose favourite hobby was inflicting violence and chaos (before he met the love of his life), but he truly was beautiful to me. Yes, he was insane, but never in a sadistic way. The way he explained the violence was more like he needed a way to get rid of all the energy stuck inside of him; like he desperately needed an outlet he couldn’t find anywhere else (again, before he met the love of his life).
But this violent part of him was not all there was to him. He was also incredibly caring, observant, funny, hyper, sweet and kind. And Brandon was the one who always brought out that side of him. Niko couldn’t be anything else around him, because he was always just so damn happy to be around the guy he adored with all his being. He actually reminded me of an over-eager puppy most of the time. And it was absolutely adorable.

“I love him and I want to be with him. Despite his violent exterior, he’s really a teddy bear deep down, you know. A golden retriever through and through. He’s extremely affectionate and respectful and makes sure I’m comfortable and happy.”
“What type of voodoo did he use on my control-freak brother? More importantly, why did it have to be him? You’re allergic to violence and I’m pretty sure he’s illiterate.”
“Lan! I’ll have you know he has a 4.15 GPA. Don’t make fun of his intelligence again or I’ll be really cross with you.”
“Jesus Christ. You’re defending him?”
“Get used to it. I won’t allow you or anyone else to insult him.”

Now, let’s continue with the romance:

At the beginning of their relationship there was of course lot of push-and-pull from Brandon because he was so very afraid of this man who brought out all these intense emotions inside of him. He didn’t want those. He wanted a simple, lifeless existence, not the fire that Niko lit inside him. But Niko would never take no for an answer. He knew Bran was the man he wanted and he would have fought tooth and nail to finally win this wonderfully infuriating man for himself.

I'm done for. Finished. Absolutely jumping off a cliff, rolling and cracking a few bones and not giving a flying fuck, because I have my prize at the bottom.
Him.

Niko’s devotion and pure dedication to Bran was a gorgeous sight to behold from beginning to end; I’m not sure I have ever seen a man as whipped for anyone as Niko was for Bran. He was obsessed in the most literal sense of the word. From the moment he met Bran, it was like nothing else in the world existed besides this beautifully complex man. Bran was obviously a little later on the uptake, but it didn’t take too long for his defences to crumble under the incessant pursuit and courtship or the contagious hurricane of Niko’s feelings.

He can’t possibly expect me to stay away. It’s true that I last saw him this morning, but I’ve been going through withdrawals.
My mood is dangerously dependent on him and that’s not even funny anymore, but I’m done trying to figure it out.
I’m just obsessed with this man and everything about him. Some would argue it’s something a lot more dire than obsession.
He consumes me, but he also grounds me. I’ve never felt as mentally strong as when I’m with him. Even the most mundane things we do together—having meals, watching movies, listening to him read the boring morning newspapers—bring a huge smile to my face.
Brandon King is ravaging me alive.

I loved that Niko and Bran both had their own issues, but that the other person was always the one who quieted those demons for them. Niko always felt restless and Bran always felt empty, but when they were together Niko was calmer and able to focus on one thing (namely, his love for Bran), while Bran was finally able to feel anything and let go of his control. They both made each other a much better person, and their unwavering support for each other brought the comfort they both desperately craved. They finally found peace and happiness. Which was made even more exceptional by the fact that they found it in an epically complex and hard-fought romance, and with a person so much their opposite that they (or, more likely, Bran, since Niko was smitten from the very beginning) would have never expected it to work out. But it did. And it was beautiful and stunning and gorgeous.

“And, baby?”
He kisses the top of my head and his next words nearly give me a heart attack.
“Even if you hate yourself, I’ll love you for the both of us.”

Lastly, I want to give a shoutout to the relationship Brandon had with his identical twin, Landon. There were so many hidden emotions and deeper layers within their bond, I genuinely would read a whole book only about them! Alas, there isn’t one, but I would have given an arm and a leg for more of these two.
It honestly broke my heart to see the inferiority complex Brandon had because he saw how easy everything seemed to be for his (supposedly) superior brother; how everyone flocked to him and admired his genius and brash personality. It especially hurt Bran so much when he compared all of that glitter and shine to how hard it was for him to simply find the will to live. He really felt so very small and insignificant next to his mighty brother, and thus, he began pushing him away around the time they hit puberty. He thought Landon didn’t care about him, and even when he did, that it was only because of the way Brandon’s flaws would reflect on Lan’s own reputation. Landon was, after all, a narcissistic sociopath, so those thoughts weren’t entirely without root. However, Bran couldn’t be more wrong because if there was anything in the world Landon cared most about it was him; his sweet brother who pushed him away without him ever understanding why.
They truly both loved each other so much, and they would always do anything to help or save their other half. It really was beautiful to see them find their way back to each other:

“Come here.” I open my arms and I suspect he’ll push me away since he’s allergic to showing affection. However, my brother slides right between my arms and hugs me for the first time since that night eight years ago.
“I love you, little bro,” he whispers. “I need you to know that. I need you to know you’re the first person I loved unconditionally and always will. I might annoy you, might act like a dick to get your attention, but that’s only because the thought of losing you scares the living fuck out of me.”
“Love you, too, Lan.” I exhale against his neck, my chest nearly bursting with emotions.

All in all, I think it’s safe to say I am in love with this book. The characters completely captured my heart and the romance had me swooning uncontrollably. I am in love. Truly.