“They were perfect, she and him—her soul full of emotion and light and his of void and dark.”

”She was the sun in the endless dark abyss of the universe.”

Fucking hell RuNyx, you've done it again.

This is one of the heaviest, darkest books I've ever read. It was horrendous and beautiful. It shattered me, completely and utterly broke my soul into tiny little pieces.

Love isn't strong enough of a word to describe the deep, unconditional adoration and admiration I feel towards Lyla. The depths I'd go to protect her are unparalleled. She's one of the strongest, most resilient characters I've ever read and has uniquely rooted herself in my heart.

The thought that what she experienced is what so many women have lived through and continue to live through devastates me the most. Because, although this is fiction, it isn’t detached from reality.

”Maybe she would never be whole. But maybe, one day she wouldn't be as broken either. And that alone gave her some hope.”

I was very afraid of how her healing journey would unfold. And I've never felt such relief as reading how humane, caring, and attentive it was dealt with. The level of freedom and choice she was given, and how she bravely continues to simultaneously fight her demons and strive for a better, healthier, happier future version of herself, was a gift to experience.

”She didn’t need a good man telling her he loved her, she needed a dark devil to tell her she was his.”

Which brings us to Dainn Blackthorne, The Shadow Man. I both love and resent him. I can't seem to forgive him for letting her live through pure hell for six years. Could he truly not have saved her before?? I understand this wouldn't have been the same book if he had, but still, it hurts.

“You have been, you are, and you will always be my only obsession, Luna Caine.”

“I will set the whole world on fire before I let anything hurt you again.”

Now, look, he has ASPD. Short and simple. He's manipulative, possessive, obsessive, and so much more. Does it excuse any of his behaviors? No, but it does explain them. There's no morally gray or morally black with him. There's only Lyla and what does her good and what doesn't. Everything and anything else is inconsequential.

“He had touched her soul.”

“He had given her the ability to dream.”

“He’d made it his life’s mission to replace her horrors with happiness”

But, at the same time, he is one of the most caring and devoted MMCs. Not only did he provide her with a safe haven, but he also put her in mental health counseling. After freedom, safety, and shelter, therapy was what she needed most to start healing and learning not just how to survive, but how to live.

His mind would spit out the most poetic, romantic, and beautiful verses about Lyla, and I'd swoon and blush like a schoolgirl every. single. time.

“Seeing her had felt like finding the richest shades of his favorite colors.”

“If there was any love in this world of mine, Lyla, it would be you.”

“You’re the oxygen that feeds my flames—without you, my existence is questionable.”

“I am darkness.” He kissed her softly. “I live it, I breathe it, I am it. There is no redemption, no emotion, nothing for me. Nothing but you. You’re the moon to my dark night, flamma. You’re the only thing in this black sky that can thrive when I swallow everything else whole. The stars don’t exist in this space. Just you and I. You need me to glow and I need you to exist. It’s simple as that.”

This series has brought oxygen into my life, and I'm already having trouble breathing from the lack of a release date for The Syndicator. But I hope RuNyx takes all the time she needs to finish this story at her own pace. She has recently lost her mom, and I can't imagine her pain, considering she always thanks her parents and mentions how heavily they love and support her. With that said, please take care of yourself, but also take pity upon our souls and don’t starve us for too long.

PS: I wasn't expecting Xander to be her son, yet it made perfect sense. I truly enjoy how RuNyx ties all her plot lines together. And I can barely wait for the day we’ll get to see Tristan and Lyla reunited.

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DARK VERSE SERIES

1. [b:The Predator|52871061] — 3.5 ★
2. [b:The Reaper|53027547] — 4 ★
3. [b:The Emperor|53473056] — 5 ★
4. [b:The Finisher|53473067] — 3.5 ★
5. The Annihilator — 5 ★
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