RAVAGE (Scarred Souls #3) by TILLIE COLE

 ‘As the years passed, I became a ghost in the night. I became the deliverer of death. I was torture.

I was pain. I was the fucking nightmare that no one ever saw coming…until it was too late.’

It’s no secret that Tillie Cole is one of our favourite Authors. Her command of the written word as well as her versatility is second to none. We absolutely love this series for its dark and gritty ongoing storyline, which this Author excels at. Her tragic violated –killer- heroes and her strong compassionate heroines.

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

From the first page to the last we were compelled by Ravage. A story about a young boy and his younger sister stolen in the night and condemned to a life of torture, violence and slavery. Slaves for a Mistress who is literally beyond your worst nightmare.

“I’m not only scarred on the outside, Kotyonok; I’m scarred on the inside: my mind, my heart, and my soul…… I am your Tbilisi monster…”

The boy, Valentin is drugged and conditioned to kill, being offered video evidence of his sister who’s an entirely different kind of slave. It’s heart-breaking and so upsetting and definitely not for the fainthearted. 194 – the monster killer who still remembers, yet knows no love – expects no love – feels no love. How could anyone love a scarred and evil monster? How could you not? Through flash backs you get to see 194’s human side and through memories; snapshots of a sweet protective boy who loves his sister dearly and is facing a daily fight to protect and keep her alive at the forefront of his mind. It’s no easy task, when given the job of killing Zaan, ending up kidnapping Zoya, the sister everyone thinks to be dead. And this is where the journey for Valentin and Zoya begins, slam bang in the middle of an existing war which is reaching a pinnacle but is yet to be fought and won.

 “I am remembering you. I am remembering how you feel, how you smell, how you look, so when I don’t have you anymore I can still remember it all. So I don’t confuse it with a dream.”

Depravity, imprisonment, tested loyalty, war, terror, barbarity, torture and tragedy. This series is one hell of a grim addictive ride that will grab your heart, make you cry, give you horrified shivers and perhaps even make you have a few nightmares. Evil vs Live. Whilst we loved Ravage, it sadly wasn’t our favourite in this series. We can’t argue the fact that Tillie Cole had our hearts beating out of our chest once again, she truly did. Her attention to detail and her evocative writing was once again perfection, especially in Valentin’s flashbacks. However, we did feel that certain aspects in regard to the love story felt rushed and perhaps a tad convenient. We also would’ve loved more from Zaal- to hear his thoughts and voice, we felt this was the biggest thing missing as it would have reinforced the sibling connection which we struggled to connect with at times, it could have been so powerful. In some respects this aspect felt almost sacrificed for the love story when in fact plays a huge part. Saying this though, we absolutely love this series and are beyond excited for 152, Valentin’s younger sister, Inessa’s story. This promises to be something a bit different and will hopefully bring it to a crescendo. We can’t wait!

“Our people have been hiding from Jakhua for over twenty years, some found and killed in the most horrific of ways. Our people need this; they need us to be strong again.”