Review - RAVAGE by Tillie Cole

Ravage

by Tillie Cole

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Taken by the Jakhua Clan as a teen, 194 was stripped of his name, his identity, and his freewill, meticulously honed to be a ruthless, soulless killing machine, trained solely to spill blood and stop hearts. This is a role he resents with every fiber of his being, but one he embraces to gain back the precious leverage the Georgians wield as their weapon of control: his younger sister, 152.

Mzia Kostava is in shock. After fleeing her mafia family's massacre in Georgia as a child, Mzia lives in secret, hiding from her enemies in the dark shadows of Manhattan. At age twenty-five, believing all her family is dead, word reaches Mzia that her brother Zaal is very much alive... and living with their family's greatest enemy: the Volkov Bratva in Brooklyn.

Yearning to be reunited with her beloved Zaal, Mzia risks her safety and anonymity for the brother she had mourned since childhood. But just as she reaches Zaal's apartment, Mzia is seized and taken captive by a strange man, who is strong, dark, and brutal... Unyielding, he demands her utter obedience as he locks her away in darkness. He is highly skilled in torture and inflicting pain, and demands to know everything about her brother Zaal and everything about her. He is a man that'll do anything to get what he wants.

Sometimes love requires the sacrifice and betrayal of those held most dear. But is finding one's true love worth committing the greatest sacrifice of all?

Oh, Tillie Cole, one of my favorite authors ever!  She can write some of the most twisted books out there and I wish I had her imagination.  Her talent just blows me away and the darker the better.  Call me crazy for loving these books, but that's fine with me.

After reading Raze and Reap and getting Luka and Zaal's story, Reap ends where we find out that Zaal's sister, who he thought died in his family's massacre, is still alive.  Zoya has been in hiding, fearing for her life because of the murderers of her family.  Just when she thinks she is safe and starts trying to find her brother, she is kidnapped by 194.

194 and his sister, 152, were kidnapped when he was just a teen.  They were living in an orphanage because they had no family.  As they are taken and given drugs, 194 is trained to be a cold blooded killer by ‘Mistress,’ and 152 is given drugs to make her crave sex in order to survive  Mistress is one psycho and crazy bitch that I hated from the beginning.  Trying to get her revenge on Zaal, she orders 194 to destroy him, but when he gets close to him, he finds a young girl standing outside.  Kidnapping her, he tortures her in the most horrible ways in trying to get her name.  Knowing she has never been touched just riles him up that much more.

“You are in pain. Your life has not been your own, is still not your own. Just like mine.”

Trying to force himself to break her, Zoya starts to make him feel things.  Actual feelings he hasn't felt since he was a young boy.  Zoya herself is so broken down and meeting damaged 194, who is one dark soul, ends up being what they each need to begin to live again.  As much as the scenes in this book may make others cringe, I felt myself so entranced with this book.  I was drawn into the darkness and hooked from page to page.  I'm a huge horror movie fan so this was right up my alley with such horrible scenes.

Zoya and 194 begin to have feelings for each other, even though he soon finds out that she is related to Zaal, he knows he doesn't want to give her up.  She is his. Just when you think things will be easy for them, here comes Mistress to spoil their plans.  When 194 is faced with having to kill Zaal again, boy does the story open up again.  Once Zaal learns his sister is alive, he will stop at nothing to get her back.  As much as 194 and Zaal hate each other, they know they have to work together to save her.  194 is also trying to save his sister 152 but in doing so, he only loses her even more.

“You can be who you need to be with me. You can dominate me, possess me, and own me.”

194 and Zoya are two broken souls, trying to find themselves.  They have both been without their families and know what it means to be alone.  Trying to live their life freely again is something they both have to get used to.  I love how strong Zoya is because this girl has been through hell and is a true fighter.  Getting more of Luka and Zaal is one of my favorite parts of this book.  I love the love that Luka and Kisa share, and Zaal and Talia are meant for each other.  I am intrigued with everything about this series and am looking forward to finding out how 194, Luka, and Zaal try to find 152.  Looks like it will be an even darker and dangerous story, too, and I can hardly wait for it to be released after reading this 5 star book.